Everton are close to signing Argentina central defender Ramiro Funes Mori in a £6m transfer from River Plate.
The 24-year-old is travelling to London on Friday ahead of a medical and could complete the move this weekend. Funes Mori would become Roberto Martínez’s fourth signing of the summer after Tom Cleverley, Gerard Deulofeu and Mason Holgate but is not earmarked as a replacement for Chelsea target John Stones.
Funes Mori has won one cap for Argentina and has been included in their squad for next month’s international against Bolivia after impressing during River Plate’s recent triumph in the Copa Libertadores. The defender scored in River Plate’s 3-0 final victory against Tigres.
The defender will cost Everton around £6m and meets Martinez’s requirement for a new centre-half after the summer departures of Sylvain Distin and Antolín Alcaraz.
Martínez, meanwhile, has insisted Stones remains focused on starting for Everton against Manchester City on Sunday despite being subject of a rejected £30m bid from Chelsea this week.
“The situation is exactly the same,” said the Everton manager. “It’s been the hot topic of this transfer window and will be highlighted every day the window is open but our focus is only the games. In my eyes Manchester City are the sharpest team in the league at the moment and our focus is on preparing for that. Of course we’re trying to work as hard as we can to get in a couple of additions but even those we are not going to comment on.”
