Everton recently held talks with free agent Jerome Boateng over a potential move to the club, but will miss out on a deal as he looks set to go elsewhere.
The defender, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, was a free agent after a spell at Lyon, but now looks set to return to Bayern Munich.
The 35-year-old, who had an incredibly successful 10-year spell at Bayern which saw him win the Champions League twice, could have made a move to Goodison Park, with Sean Dyche seemingly keen on strengthening his back line.
Everton spoke to Boateng
A report from TeamTalk has now revealed that Everton were one of a number of clubs who held talks with the centre-back over a move in recent weeks.
The veteran was reportedly in discussions with a number of clubs including Dyche’s side, but has plumped for a return to the Bundesliga Champions.
Boateng had a short stint in the Premier League with Manchester City prior to his move to Bayern in 2011, but was seemingly not tempted by another opportunity in England.
Dyche’s desire
Everton’s interest in Boateng may be an indication that Dyche wants to add to his defensive options. Everton have struggled with set-pieces this season, and perhaps Boateng could have been an addition to help organise the back line.
His experience as a serial winner could have been of good use to Everton, but some may be sceptical of a player with no match fitness near the end of his career being a good fit to the squad.
With a young talent like Jarrad Branthwaite currently starting at the back, limiting his potential development to sign a player who likely would not stay beyond the end of the season could be a bad move in the long-run, and Boateng’s current ability may not make him suitable for Premier League football any more.
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