.jpg "Everton close in on first summer signing")
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is hoping to make his first summer signing in the form of Gabriel from Lille, reports the Mirror on Sunday.
The Italian has been courting the Brazilian for some time now as he looks to improve his defence once transfer are once again possible.
On the back of Everton's 4-0 thumping at Chelsea, Ancelotti has identified Gabriel as the centre-back he can rebuild his defence around with talks ongoing over a £30m switch.
Gabriel has made 24 league appearances for Lille this season and has garnered a WhoScored rating of 6.93 in the process.
Ancelotti believes Gabriel is the ideal centre-back partner for Mason Holgate, who recently penned a new deal at Goodison Park.
.jpg "Everton close in on first summer signing")
However, the 22-year-old's possible arrival would likely deem Yerry Mina or Michael Keane surplus to requirements, with the duo struggling for a consistent run of form at the heart of the Toffees backline.
A three-match winless run has left Everton in the bottom half of the table before the Premier League announced the suspension of the league in a bid to help curb the Coronavirus outbreak.
