Everton Plotting Player Swap To Land Blackburn Defensive Ace

Everton have reportedly made a swap offer for Blackburn Rovers defender Scott Wharton.

The Toffees remain in financial difficulty and must raise funds to allow manager Sean Dyche to reinvest in the transfer market. Sean Dyche is desperate to improve the potency of his side following another flirtation with relegation this past campaign and has made signing of two forwards a top priority. In addition, he also wants to improve his team’s defensive options before the 2023/24 campaigns kicks off.

According to Football Insider, Everton have offered either striker Ellis Simms or French forward Neal Maupay in exchange for Blackburn Rovers defender Scott Wharton.

Wharton, 25, has spent his entire career with Blackburn Rovers. He has spent time on loan with League Two clubs such as Cambridge United, Lincoln City, Bury and Northampton Town.

After a positive loan spell with Northampton, Wharton returned to Blackburn during the summer of 2019 and has since stayed at the club. In the last two years, the 25-year-old has become one of the best young defenders in the Championship, thus, catching the eye of a number of clubs including Everton.

Scott Wharton to Everton—Decent option?

Everton currently have two fewer centre-backs than they did last season when they beat the drop on the final day. That is because the club decided to release Yerry Mina upon the expiry of his contract at the end of last month, whilst rejecting the opportunity to sign Conor Coady permanently from Wolves.

Even though Jarrad Branthwaite, who excelled on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season, is expected to be a part of Everton’s first team under Sean Dyche next term, they could certainly do well with another centre-half. With Everton in desperate need of offloading players to raise funds, two players surplus to requirements at Goodison Park are Ellis Simms and Neal Maupay.

Simms is entering the final year of his contract at Goodison Park and the Toffees are willing to cash him in. Newly-promoted Championship club Ipswich Town have already had a £4million bid for striker Simms knocked back but the Toffees will let the young striker go on at the right price.

Meanwhile, Maupay signed for Everton from Brighton last summer but has failed to make an impact on Merseyside, managing just one goal in 29 appearances. As a result, Dyche has given the Everton board the green light to use Simms and Maupay as a makeweight in exchange for Blackburn Rovers defender Scott Wharton.

Wharton made 28 appearances for Blackburn last season, scoring a goal. He played a key role in Blackburn’s seventh-place finish in the Championship, and the defender’s performances haven’t gone unnoticed. Dyche is a fan of Wharton and wants to add him to his squad, as Everton look to avoid another season battling relegation.

At 25, Wharton is at the right age to make the step up to the Premier League and a move to Everton could work well for him. Whether Blackburn would accept either Simms or Maupay in exchange for Wharton, however, remains to be seen.