Manchester United midfielder James Garner is close to a move to Everton.
According to The Athletic, the Toffees are set to complete a deal for the promising talent in a deal that could be worth up to £15m.
Garner attracted a swathe of interest from around the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, and Southampton all expressed an interest in signing him this summer.
However it seem that Frank Lampard has won the race for his signature.
Garner impressed on loan at Forest last season, starting 41 matches in the Championship as his side secured promotion through the play-offs.
The Midlands club initially were thought to be interested in taking the midfielder back on loan this season, but instead signed Dean Henderson for the season, prohibiting a temporary deal.
With John Murtough putting Garner up for sale a couple of weeks ago, the Englishman certainly had his pick of suitors.
United have added Christian Eriksen and Casemiro to their midfield ranks this summer, which would have severely limited Garner’s opportunities in the first team.
One might have expected the Red Devils to look for a loan deal given that both aforementioned players are in their thirties.
At the very least it is thought that £15m including add-ons errs on the cheap side for a Premier League-ready midfielder.
However it appears that United are wary of repeating past mistakes in holding on to players for too long.
Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba both left the club on free transfers this summer, while Henderson’s value suffered significantly over the course of last season as he rotted on the bench.
The academy goalkeeper now appears to have burnt his bridges following his move to Forest and while Garner is considerably more mild-mannered, it is likely that the Old Trafford hierarchy feared retaining an asset that would come to be an issue later down the line.
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