Everton Interested In €35M French Player Who Is Earning Comparisons With Zidane: Can The Toffees Pull This Off? | OneFootball

Everton played out a 2-2 draw at Brentford last Saturday, leaving them on 47 points as the Premier League season moves into the final phase. David Moyes’s side have a Merseyside derby against Liverpool up next, and the pressure is building with every dropped point.

While the Toffees have enough quality to secure a solid mid-table finish, the squad is still crying out for a creative spark in midfield, which is a hole the recruitment team is clearly looking to plug before next season kicks off. Everton’s recent transfer business shows they aren’t afraid to shop in Serie A, and that strategy seems to be driving their plans again this summer.

Arthur Atta is the man Everton want from Udinese

Arthur Atta truly arrived on the big stage last weekend, bagging a goal and an assist as Udinese stunned AC Milan with a 3-0 win at the San Siro. It was one of the best individual performances of the Italian season so far. Reports from TuttoSport highlight that the French midfielder has now been involved in eight goals across all competitions, a return that has put several Premier League clubs on high alert. Fulham were the first to blink in January, offering €20m plus €5m in add-ons, but Udinese wouldn’t budge from their €35–40m valuation.

Udinese sporting director Gianluca Nani has even gone as far as comparing Atta to Zinedine Zidane and Jude Bellingham, which shows just how much the club rate him. Now, TuttoSport claims Everton have entered the fray, banking on the strong relationship they formed with Udinese during the Beto deal two years ago.

The Pozzo family paid a modest €8m to sign Atta permanently from Metz in 2025 after a successful loan, and they are now set to make a massive profit. The stats certainly justify the price tag, with three goals and three assists in 26 Serie A games, an npxG output in the top 81st percentile for the league, and nearly 1.5 key passes per match (via Footy Stats).

Can the Toffees actually afford to pull this off?

UDINE, ITALY – APRIL 06: Arthur Atta of Udinese looks on during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Como 1907 at Stadio Friuli on April 06, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

Everton have the connections and a clear vacancy in the squad, but a €35–40m price tag is tricky territory for a club still finding their mojo under The Friedkin Group’s ownership. The Beto deal proved that Udinese trust Everton as a partner, but goodwill only goes so far when that much money is on the table.

Still, Atta’s profile is a perfect match; he’s a progressive midfielder who can play between the lines and deliver at both ends of the pitch. Everton’s current midfield lacks that kind of driving force. Moyes will likely push hard for this move, as a player who can dominate at the San Siro and earns comparisons to Zidane won’t be on the market for long.