Nuno Valente has backed Everton in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Moutinho.
Valente hopes club sign Portuguese compatriot
Nuno Valente has backed Everton in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Moutinho.
The Toffees are known to be keen on signing Moutinho, with Sporting claiming last month that they had rejected an offer for the Portugal international's services.
The Portuguese Liga club have since stated that Moutinho will not be leaving Estadio Jose Alvalade this summer.
Valente, however, is hopeful that Everton will succeed in landing the 21-year-old as he believes his compatriot will add much to David Moyes' current squad.
"The manager is speaking with the chairman all the time," Valente told the club's
official website.
A leader
"I think the squad is short and it is important that we get some new players in but the important thing is that the players we sign are good and will strengthen us.
"We need players with quality. Everton is a team already that has quality and we need to add to that. Moutinho, of course, is a good player and he is someone that I know. He was a star at Euro 2008 for Portugal.
"He is sharp, he plays good football and he drives his team forward. He is also a leader - if he wasn't, there would be no way that he would be the captain of a big club like Sporting at the age of 21.
"If we spend so much money on a player like him, he would pay it back in the next few years. I would like to see him here because he is Portuguese, but the reason I would want to see him here most is because he is a good player and will improve us."
