Multiple reports from the Sunday newspapers are linking the Ireland captain with a £16m move to Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho certainly whipped Antonio Valencia into a performance frenzy at the start of the season and was rewarded for it. Those levels have tapered off somewhat and with Matteo Darmian looking for the ‘Exit’ door, Mourinho is already scouting around for a right back.
We are in no way surprised, then, to hear Seamus Coleman linked with a United switch for the fourth season in succession.
The Sunday People and the Mirror are just two of the publications confidently predicting a United bid for the Everton and Ireland right-back in the coming months. Coleman was valued as highly as £25m by The Toffees in the summer of 2015 so the mooted United bid of £16m seems meagre.
We can only presume that Mourinho, United and the Sunday scribes have yet to fully appreciate the majesty of Coleman’s first ever Ireland goal, against Georgia, on Thursday night:
Seamus Coleman just scored a goal straight out of FIFA 17 ? pic.twitter.com/sRQ5dvdjbe
— Complex UK (@complex_uk) October 6, 2016
Coleman signed his last Everton contract in 2014 and it was a five-year deal. He has started the season well, under Ronald Koeman’s stewardship, and his agent has rebuffed bids for him in the past.
Mourinho got his four key transfers sorted in the summer but he will now be aware that United need an injection of pace, vitality and leadership. Coleman ticks all three boxes, and several more.
Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live:
