Everton have made contact to sign Maxime Esteve | OneFootball

Everton have made contact to sign Maxime Esteve from Burnley, according to L’Equipe.

Esteve has been one of the few bright spots in his team’s dreadful campaign.

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 manager David Moyes.

However, Everton are 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.

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

Michael Keane and James Tarkowski are both now 33. While their experience remains valuable, the club cannot continue to rely on ageing legs in the heart of defence.

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

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 approach.

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

The 23-year-old also offers long-term value rather than being another short-term fix.

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