By OkayGoal 
Everton have joined the race to sign OH Leuven centre-back Roggerio Nyakossi, according to reports, with the 22-year-old Swiss Under-21 captain attracting interest from a significant number of clubs across Europe after a strong campaign in Belgian football that has seen his market value assessed at £7 million.
The defensive need at Goodison Park heading into this summer is not subtle. Jarrad Branthwaite missed a number of games through injury this season, James Tarkowski is 33 and Michael Keane, who signed a new one-year deal, is also in his thirties. Adding a young centre-back with development potential is not just a summer priority, it is a structural requirement for a club that cannot keep relying on experienced defenders with limited runway ahead of them. At £7 million, Nyakossi represents one of the more sensible solutions available at this price point in the current market.
The complication for Everton is the volume of competition. Premier League rivals Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton are all reportedly interested, alongside Ipswich Town. French sides Strasbourg and Lyon are tracking him, and four Bundesliga clubs — Augsburg, Hoffenheim, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen — have all been linked. This is a significant transfer race for a player at this price level.
Why Roggerio Nyakossi is attracting so much interest this summer
Nyakossi arrived at OH Leuven from Marseille in January 2025 on a two-year deal running until June 2027. He returned four goals from 28 appearances in the Belgian Pro League this season and has been described as a solid centre-back with good reading of the game. His captaincy of the Switzerland Under-21 side adds context to the level of respect he commands at international level despite playing outside one of Europe’s top five leagues.
The most important financial detail is the Marseille buyback clause. When Leuven signed Nyakossi, his former club retained a £5 million buyback option in the deal. That clause effectively prevents Leuven from asking for anything significantly above £7 million, because a fee at that level would simply trigger Marseille’s option and bring him back to the Velodrome. For Everton, that means the asking price is capped at a genuinely manageable figure by Premier League standards.
How Everton can win the Roggerio Nyakossi race ahead of Liverpool
Liverpool’s involvement is the most serious competitive threat. Their recruitment infrastructure and the ability to offer Champions League football next season gives them an obvious advantage in any direct comparison with Everton. West Ham and the Bundesliga clubs represent different kinds of competition: attractive environments but not the same level of appeal for a player whose target appears to be Premier League football.
Where Everton can make their case is minutes. A 22-year-old centre-back who wants to develop and become a regular has a clearer path to that at Goodison Park than at Anfield, where competition for defensive places is significantly more intense. Moyes’s track record of developing defenders is another selling point if his recruitment team move quickly and make a compelling pitch before the summer window opens fully.
