Why Matheus Doria could be the solution to Everton’s defensive problems

According to claims from Brazilian outlet  TodoFichajes, Everton are weighing up a move for Brazilian international defender Matheus Doria, with manager Marco Silva desperate to add more quality to his defensive options in January. 

The 24-year-old centre-back, who currently plies his trade with Santos Laguna in the Mexican top-flight, could be available for as little as £10.5 million during the mid-season trading period and his imminent availability has put the Toffees on red alert. (h/t TodoFichajes)

Matheus Doria was regarded as one of the most exciting teenage prospects in world football just a few years ago when he made his senior international debut for Brazil at the tender age of 18. 

A youth product of Botafogo, Doria rose to prominence with his boyhood club and earned rave reviews as a youngster in his homeland before completing a move to Europe with French heavyweights Marseille back in 2014. 

However, the Brazilian struggled to establish himself as a regular starter in Ligue 1 and made only 33 appearances in all competitions, spending time on loan at Sao Paulo, Granada and Yeni Matalyaspor before departing Europe for Mexican giants Santos Laguna. 

A return to more familiar surroundings has helped him rebuild his reputation following an ill-fated spell at Marseille and, as the story goes, Matheus Doria could be lucky enough to get a second crack of the whip in Europe, with Everton apparently keen to take advantage of his knockdown price and offer him an escape route. 

The Toffees were tipped by many to finally break the top-six lock this term under the stewardship of Marco Silva following a summer of heavy investment but the fans on the blue half of Merseyside will be less than impressed with how things have panned out for their team thus far. 

Everton currently sit 14th in the Premier League standings with 2 wins and 3 losses in their first six league outings and their lacklustre start to the season has made Marco Silva one of the top sacking candidates before January.

While the lack of a prolific centre-forward continues to haunt the club each and every week, the defenders haven’t done a great job either, with the club’s porous and vulnerable backline having already come under scrutiny numerous times early in the campaign.

The Toffees have just scored 5 goals so far while conceding 9 in the process, something that further epitomizes their ongoing issues at the back. 

Everton were always going to be light in the centre-back department after they let Phil Jagielka leave and failed to bring last season’s loanee Kurt Zouma back to Goodison Park on a permanent deal from Chelsea. 

Yerry Mina and Michael Keane have been well below-par thus far and, barring young Mason Holgate, Silva doesn’t have anyone to call upon as a viable alternative. 

It was always going to be risky for Everton to rely too heavily on only two senior centre-backs for the entirety of the campaign and that ploy has already backfired badly to such an extent that it has affected the stability of the team. 

To put things into perspective, the Toffees desperately need to bring in defensive reinforcements in January and while Matheus Doria might not be the best possible option, the Brazilian could prove to be someone who offers good value for money in the transfer market. 

Elegant, classy yet combative, the 24-year-old left-footed centre-back has the technical abilities to fit into Silva’s plans and the Brazilian might as well turn out to be a handsome addition to the ranks for what is considered very much a bargain price these days. 

Given Doria’s past failures in Europe, bringing him in midway through the season would be a gamble for the Toffees, but at £10.5 million, he is certainly worth a punt for Silva.

Plus, Everton have already spent heavily over the past 12 months, meaning that it would be unrealistic to expect the club to fork out a massive amount of cash in January. 

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With that in mind, Everton should not hesitate to firm up their interest in the Brazilian in the coming months and go ahead with a deal when the transfer window reopens.