Everton have made contact to sign Maxime Esteve | OneFootball

Everton have made contact to sign Maxime Esteve from Burnley, with the Toffees looking to bolster their rearguard this summer, according to L’Equipe.

Esteve has been one of the few bright spots in his team’s dreadful campaign. His performances have caught the eye of clubs like Everton.

He has won 68 percent of his aerial and 64% of his ground duels in 34 Premier League appearances, numbers that will appeal to Toffees boss David Moyes.

Esteve is expected to be on the move this summer when his side goes down, and it seems Everton are one of the clubs placing themselves in the queue for his signature.

However, the Merseyside club is not alone in the race to sign the incredible Frenchman, who was outstanding in the Championship last term.

Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have also made their enquiries for the left-footed centre-half, who has a contract that runs till 2030, alongside Bayer Leverkusen.

Everton should be doing everything possible to get this deal over the line.

Michael Keane and James Tarkowski are both now 33, and while their experience remains valuable, the club cannot keep relying on ageing legs at the heart of defence.

Jarrad Branthwaite’s injury struggles have also raised concerns, while interest from bigger clubs continues to swirl around the England international.

That leaves Everton needing another dependable centre-back who can step in immediately without requiring years of development.

Esteve fits that profile perfectly.

He is physically dominant, aggressive in duels, comfortable defending large spaces and composed enough on the ball to suit Moyes’ direct, organised approach.

Despite Burnley’s miserable season, he has enhanced his reputation with consistently mature displays against elite opposition.

At 23, he also offers long-term value rather than being another short-term fix.

Esteve looks like the kind of rock-solid signing capable of anchoring the Everton backline for the next decade.