Latest news with #NathanPatterson
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Everton need to make signings: Should right-back be a priority?
It is possible to make the case that Everton have needed a new right-back since Carlo Ancelotti's 18-month stint at the club between 2019 and 2021. Even then, a long-term successor to Seamus Coleman felt like a top priority. While the Irishman continued to play a role in the first team, conventional wisdom suggested that a younger option would be needed to share the burden and eventually take the reins. Advertisement Coleman's longevity has surprised many, himself included. Half a decade on, the 36-year-old is primed for a 17th straight season at the club. Despite fitness issues and major injuries, he has twice decided to extend his playing career, having been persuaded of his enduring value in the dressing room. Before a summer of upheaval, manager David Moyes wanted his captain around for at least one more season. Nobody seems quite ready to cut the cord yet and it seems wise given the changing of the squad. But four years on from Ancelotti's tenure, it is hard to escape the conclusion that succession planning at right-back has largely gone awry. Everton may have two options, including Coleman, in that area for next season — three, in reality, with the versatile Jake O'Brien — but the identity of his long-term successor remains unclear. Nathan Patterson is about to embark on a make-or-break season on Merseyside. The Scotland international, an £11million signing from Rangers in January 2022, was earmarked as Coleman's heir apparent, but he has not yet nailed down the role. Patterson's arrival came at a curious juncture in Everton's modern history, with the deal pushed through by then-manager Rafa Benitez and the club's hierarchy shortly after the departures of director of football Marcel Brands and head of recruitment Gretar Steinsson. The young full-back had not been Brands' top target. The Dutchman had pushed instead to bring in Netherlands international Denzel Dumfries from PSV and Tino Livramento from Chelsea, only for Benitez to rule out both moves. Patterson's name had appeared on shortlists as a promising player who could be developed over time, but the recruitment team explored a deal the previous summer for a fee less than half of the amount Everton ended up paying. There had been little expectation that he could take over Coleman's mantle straight away. Advertisement Two weeks after his arrival, sanctioned by Benitez, the Spaniard was sacked. Patterson's luck has not changed much, if at all, in the intervening period. Injuries have deprived him of opportunities at key moments and vital development minutes. An April 2022 ankle issue, sustained in the final training session before he was set to make his Premier League debut away at West Ham United, saw him ruled out for the remainder of that season. He returned to play a prominent role under Benitez's successor, Frank Lampard, at the start of the next campaign, starring in a 0-0 home Merseyside derby draw, but then suffered a recurrence of the injury. Recent seasons have been similarly stop-start. Game time was fleeting under Sean Dyche, while there is still a sense he is yet to convince under Moyes. It was telling that Ashley Young started two of the final three games of last season and came on for Coleman in the last game at Goodison Park against Southampton, ahead of Patterson, despite the veteran's contract being up. What the Scot has needed most has been an injury-free season and regular games, but that has eluded him. It is not unusual for clubs to assess their options in all positions, including those where there is no immediate need, but Everton made a January bid for Flamengo's Wesley Franca that was deemed significantly below the Brazilian club's lofty valuation, and have continued to track him. That move is further complicated by interest in the player from Roma, part of the Friedkin Group's stable of clubs. Alternatives such as Sevilla's Juanlu Sanchez were tracked, while there was initial confidence over a summer move for Kenny Tete before Fulham came back to the negotiating table and offered improved terms. The mood music now is that right-back is some way down the list of priorities. While a signing there has not been completely ruled out, the predominant focus is improving options in central midfield and on the right wing. Alongside Coleman and Patterson, O'Brien is still seen as a viable option at full-back, even if shifting the Ireland defender inside would eat into their central defensive reserves. At the very least, Jarrad Branthwaite's contract extension removes the immediate need for O'Brien to move into the centre, with the latter in a decent position to start the season on the right flank. Some fans have questioned why Everton have seemingly prioritised other areas over the right wing and central midfield. The reality is that it has been easier and less expensive to get a deal over the line for, say, new No 2 goalkeeper Mark Travers than to secure a key target on the right wing. Work continues behind the scenes on the latter, but it is proving to be a challenging market for clubs like Everton, and one potential option, Johan Bakayoko, opted to move to Germany's RB Leipzig from PSV. As much as Everton would like to secure players for their priority positions, and are working to do so, there is an element of taking what you can get. Advertisement The volume of numbers needed this summer means they run the risk of being thin in some areas, even just temporarily. Young's departure, for example, removes cover on both sides of the defence. While they have two cover options to fill in for O'Brien on the right, Vitalii Mykolenko remains the only genuine left-back in the squad. At least one more option will be needed there, too. Everton arguably still need to find Coleman's successor, whether this summer or next, but with enough options to get by there for the time being, most of their effort is likely to be spent on improving other areas of the squad first.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'We've got to aim high - and why not?'
Michael Keane says Everton have to "aim high" as they embark on their first season in a new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock. The central defender signed a one-year contract extension at the start of July and cannot wait for the 2025-26 season to get started."I'm really happy to be staying," he told club media, external. "To get it done in the end, I was over the moon and I can just crack on now, focus on football, train hard and make sure I'm ready when my chance comes."[The stadium move] will be something that's really exciting and something I think the club deserves. I think the fans deserve it."The past few seasons have been tough and the fans deserve some positivity. The Premier League is a tough league and there's a lot of good teams spending a lot of money. Nothing is guaranteed but we've got to aim high – and why not?"The Blues drew 1-1 with League Two side Accrington Stanley in their first pre-season friendly on Tuesday, with Keane one of four outfield players to play the full 90 minutes – alongside Nathan Patterson, Dwight McNeil and Tim Iroegbunam."We played some decent stuff," Keane said post-match. "I think in the final third we can get sharper, but the lads have worked really hard for 10 days straight – even yesterday we had double sessions, so it's not easy. "You don't feel fresh and at your best but that's what pre-season is for. We got through it and we'll feel better for it."[The start to pre-season] has been really good. It's been hard work with triple sessions pretty much every day. That's going to be good for us."To play 90 minutes is good. I think a lot of lads will feel better for that and we just keep building into the start of the season now."Keane spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside too - listen on BBC Sounds
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Everton turn to other targets after missing out on Tete
Everton were confident negotiations were advancing towards a successful conclusion on a three-year deal of their own for Fulham's Kenny David Moyes has made full-back one of his summer priorities after 39-year-old Ashley Young was not offered a new contract, despite veteran captain Seamus Coleman signing a one-year deal to take him into a 17th season at the had emerged as Everton's main target, but Moyes may now be forced to turn to alternatives that could include free agent Kyle Walker-Peters or Vladimir Coufal, his former right-back at West O'Brien, who was signed from Lyon as a central defender, performed consistently at right-back for Everton following Moyes' appointment in January, having been ignored by predecessor Sean Dyche, while Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has also been used.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Everton plan to derail Kenny Tete's new contract with Fulham
Everton are looking to derail Kenny Tete's contract renegotiation with Fulham, after offering a three-year contract. The respected Dutch right-back's current deal runs out at the end of June, meaning he could move on a free transfer, but the Craven Cottage hierarchy have been confident of a new agreement. Everton are currently attempting to change that, as they proactively push for Tete. The 29-year-old has a three-year offer from Everton on the table improved terms. He joined Fulham back in 2020 from French side Lyon and has made almost 120 appearances for the London side since. He played 22 times for the Cottagers in the season just gone as they finished 11th in the Premier League. Tete made his debut for the Netherlands as a 20-year-old back in 2015 and has won 14 caps in total, although he hasn't pulled on the orange jersey since 2021. Everton are in the market for a right-back with both Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson seemingly constantly battling injury. Coleman also turns 37 in October and it's not clear how much time he has left at the top level.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'We all need to strap ourselves in for a whirlwind period of change'
This summer will see a raft of changes, both on and off the pitch at the football most obvious is our move to the newly named Hill Dickinson Stadium - ensuring next season will have an alien feel for all this means and where it will catapult the club to in the longer term will take some time to establish, but it will surely have a positive impact in attracting new number of departing players already highlights exactly how much work there is for the manager and recruitment team to positions will certainly take precedent over permanent signing of Charly Alcaraz has certainly been a positive start to full-back positions are both an area of concern, with right-back a priority, as it has been for the last couple of Patterson has struggled to impress since his arrival in 2022, and any notion he was the successor to the Seamus Coleman full-back role has sadly club have already made a statement of intent in looking to improve the ability in the final third, with Liam Delap approached and offered a deal to the move did not materialise, it tells you that a new number nine is top of the manager's wishlist and rightly so.I would love to see the same hunger applied to recruiting more pace in attacking is evident we will not be able to tackle every area this window, but I would hope to see raw speed seriously transition from defence to attack can often be thing is for sure, we all need to strap ourselves in for a whirlwind period of change this more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external
