Everton have learned the asking price of England international Conor Coady with Frank Lampard discussing the possibility of signing the on-loan defender on a permanent deal.
Despite being club captain at Molineux for the past five years, the former Liverpool defender was allowed to return to his native Merseyside in August in a season-long loan.
Everton are understood to have an option to buy the 29-year-old England international at the end of the current campaign. Asked whether he’d requested to sign Coady permanently, Lampard said: “It’s not probably a question for now, it’s so far away, a lot can happen.
“Conor has been really, really good to maybe understate it since he’s been here. He’s been amazing in terms of his own performances and in terms of his influence on the team, and off the pitch. I think that’s really visible.
“There’s a long season to go and Conor knows how I feel about him and I think Conor knows how the club feels about him and he’s said a lot himself but I don’t think it’s time for that, I think it’s just good that we’re working together. He’s settled in really quickly, I know what my feeling is, and we’ll see.”
Conor Coady asking price.
Everton will have to pay only £4.5 million to sign England international Conor Coady from Wolves next summer, according to the latest reports by Telegraph.
Everton’s recruitment has been under serious scrutiny in recent years but the deal struck with Wolves will be regarded as excellent business.
Kevin Thelwell, Everton’s director of football, previously worked in a similar position at Wolves and was heavily influential in the deal thanks to his close relationship with Jeff Shi, the Midlands club’s chairman.
Forging a central defensive partnership with fellow new signing James Tarkowski, Coady helped Frank Lampard’s side to go on a run of six Premier League matches unbeaten, scoring once against Southampton, before eventually suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United on Sunday.
THE VERDICT: ABSOLUTE BARGAIN
Everton signing Coady permanently is something that the club shouldn’t even have to think twice about considering the instant impact he’s made.
Before their match against Manchester United this evening, the England international was averaging 5.4 clearances per top-flight game and already has a goal and assist to his name in just seven starts (WhoScored).
