Everton are hoping to make another signing before the summer transfer window closes on Friday after securing a new talisman in Beto.
The striker joined from Serie A side Udinese for £30m this week following concerns over Dominic Calvert-Lewin's ever-unreliable fitness and Neal Maupay's woeful efforts in front of goal, with the Frenchman scoring just once for the Toffees and now linked with a move away.
Sean Dyche has been focussing on restoring the offence after finishing last season as the Premier League's second-lowest scorers, but the club need to make a defensive acquisition and might've now identified their man.
What's the latest on Nico Elvedi to Everton?
According to German outlet Sport Bild, Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi could be available for just €5m (£4m), with the Swiss international now in the final year of his contract and previously believed to hold a price tag of £8m.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
Gianluca Di Marzio reported last weekend that the Merseyside outfit had opened talks for Elvedi, but will now need to act fast with top-flight rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers also pursuing a deal.
How good is Nico Elvedi?
All of the attention has been on bolstering the attack at Goodison Park this summer, and perhaps the fact that Yerry Mina, Conor Coady (who was on loan) and Mason Holgate have all left the club has gone under the radar.
Dyche has not touched the central defence with just two days of the market remaining, and while Jarrad Branthwaite has returned after an impressive loan spell with PSV Eindhoven, an acquisition surely needs to be made.
Elvedi could be the perfect solution to this problem, with the exiguous fee for an established international sure to stamp some authority and control into the Toffees' backline.
Having been hailed as "incredible” by former Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl, Elvedi has made 270 appearances for Gladbach, scoring 14 goals and serving nine assists, competent both in central defence and out wide.
Given that the 26-year-old titan ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 10% for clearances and the top 17% for goals scored per 90, as per FBref, Dyche would be wise to consider completing a swoop for a player who could serve in Michael Keane's stead.
Dyche has wielded Keane at both Everton and his former club Burnley, and while the 30-year-old central defender reclaimed his starting berth at Goodison Park following Dyche's appointment in January, despite this return to regular match action, must now be ditched if the club are to ascend from their lowly position.
Indeed, having been signed for £30m back in 2017, Keane has failed to live up to the potential and prove to be the fulcrum of a backline that was supposed to lead the club to Premier League prominence, not desperate scraps for survival.
Described as a "genuine defensive liability" by journalist Richard Buxton, the inconsistent £80k-per-week defender ranks among the bottom 2% of positional peers for pass completion and the bottom 5% for tackles per 90, illuminating the lack of robustness that Everton need as they look to stop the issues.
With this in mind, Elvedi would be a perfect fit to upgrade on Keane, bringing a ball-playing ability to instil assurance and composure and a defensive work rate to build a foundation for a successful season.