'Medical done' - Liverpool and Everton's rivals close to £12m deal for Barcelona defender in early boost

Everton and Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Crystal Palace are on the cusp of signing Barcelona defender Chadi Riad after the player completed his medical at the Selhurst Park club.

The Eagles enjoyed an impressive end to the league campaign as they finished 10th on 49 points. The appointment of manager Oliver Glasner was a catalyst for a huge surge in form as they won six of their final seven games, including a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield. They also defeated West Ham 5-2, beat Manchester United 4-0 and thumped Champions League-bound Aston Villa 5-0 on the final day of the season.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports a medical has been completed for Riad, with the deal set to be completed. BBC Sport reported last week the agreement is worth £12m plus a possible £2m in add-ons.

The 20-year-old from Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca spent last season on loan at La Liga club Real Betis. He has made just one senior appearance for Barcelona while playing 37 times for Barcelona B, scoring three goals. The centre back played 30 times in all competitions for Betis last term.

Central defence is also an area that will be of importance to Liverpool and Everton throughout the summer transfer window. The Reds will need to bolster the position after Joel Matip left the club on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract.

The 32-year-old picked up a serious knee injury against Fulham in December which proved his last appearance for Liverpool. The Reds, along with rivals Manchester United, have reportedly been tracking Sporting CP defender Gonçalo Inácio. The 22-year-old has a reported release clause of £51m.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is also a player in demand and has also been linked with Arne Slot’s side, with Riad’s pending arrival at the Eagles opening the door for the England international to leave Selhurst Park this summer. Lloyd Kelly was another linked as he prepares to leave Bournemouth on a free transfer but he is on the cusp of joining Newcastle United. Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt’s William Pacho are among other names linked.

For Everton, stand-out defender Jarrad Branthwaite has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park with Manchester United showing interest. However, the Toffees will only allow the centre-back to leave for a sizeable fee, reportedly between £80m-£100m, which will allow them to re-invest in a suitable replacement.

Everton boss Sean Dyche is also keen to keep hold of the defender, he said in March: “We don’t want to sell any good players. It’s as simple as that and he’s proven to be a very good player. We’re not in the business of trying to sell players. You only sell players if you have to sell players or there’s a problem. There’s no problem, therefore I’m just hoping we don’t need to sell players. At the minute, we certainly don’t so we will see.”

Everton’s situation since those comments has shifted, however, with the club confirming last week that 777 Partners had missed the deadline to complete their purchase of the Merseyside club. The Toffees will now assess all options for future ownership but continue to operate as usual.