Everton are reportedly lining up a move to sign Fabien Centonze from French club FC Metz in the upcoming January transfer window.
According to a report from Football Insider, Everton are considering making an attempt to land FC Metz defender Fabien Centonze in the winter transfer window.
Centonze started at the academy of Thonon Evian and had stints with Clermont Foot and RC Lens before he ended up at FC Metz in the summer of 2019. The 25-year-old has been a regular fixture at right-back for the French club since arriving, managing 85 appearances across all competitions in which he has six goals and four assists.
Centonze has been in particularly impressive form in the ongoing season, having netted four goals in 16 games for Metz, even though the team has not been performing all too well. And, it seems that the right-back’s displays have caught the eyes of Everton manager Rafael Benitez.
The Spaniard is believed to have taken over the recruitment department at Goodison Park following the recent departure of Marcel Brands. And, with the January transfer window only a couple of weeks away, he is keen on strengthening the roster to help the team out of the current muddle that they find themselves in.
Benitez has a relatively low budget to work with, meaning he will need to be on the lookout for cost-effective solutions as multiple areas need to be bolstered. The right-back area is one where reinforcements are required as Seamus Coleman is not getting any younger. At the same time, Jonjoe Kenny is not favoured by the manager, having played just ten minutes of Premier League football this term.
While both Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey can play at right-back, neither is a natural in the position. So, bringing in someone like Centonze could prove to be an interesting addition to the roster, especially given his attacking capabilities, which would take some pressure off of the likes of Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray going forward.
At the same time, he has also shown good defensive nous and game-reading abilities. Valued at just £8 million, the 25-year-old will not burn a hole through the pockets for the Merseyside outfit either. It now remains to be seen whether Everton decide to convert their interest into a formal approach for the Metz right-back in the coming weeks.
