Everton are close to signing the right-back Nathan Patterson from Rangers for £12m plus add-ons. The 20-year-old Scotland international is in line to become the club’s second January purchase after Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Patterson is not a regular starter for Rangers but was identified by Rafael Benítez as a target when the manager took over last summer. Two Everton bids were rejected in that transfer window, with Steven Gerrard, the then Rangers manager, describing the initial £5m offer “a joke”. The fee agreed by Rangers would be the biggest received by the club.
Patterson’s arrival after that of Mykolenko would meet Benítez’s desire to strengthen in both full-back positions. Mykolenko, a Ukraine left-back, cost an initial £17.9m and the money being spent by Everton is a substantial upgrade on last summer, when the £1.7m Demarai Gray and free transfers were signed.
Patterson has played six times for Scotland and scored on his most recent appearance, the 2-0 win in Moldova that guaranteed a place in March’s World Cup play-offs, in which Steve Clarke’s team face Ukraine in the semi-finals.
Everton’s poor form – one win in 12 games – continued on Sunday with a home defeat by Brighton. There was again no place in the team for the left-back Lucas Digne, who is expected to leave this month after being ostracised by Benítez.
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