Report: ‘Hugely important’ player set to seal £4.5m move after Everton turned him down.

Conor Coady is set to join Leicester City after Everton decided not to sign him permanently.

The defender is closing in on a £4.5 million move to the King Power Stadium following their relegation to the Championship, according to the Mirror.

Coady joined Everton on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer and was an important player for the club as he helped them avoid relegation, making 24 appearances in the Premier League.

The Toffees surprised fans when they rejected the chance to sign the England international on a permanent deal and he instead returned to Wolves at the end of the season.

Leicester are now hopeful they can confirm the signing of Coady before the weekend in what would be a major cup for the club.

While the 30-year-old didn’t start every game under Sean Dyche, his leadership and experience played a key part in the dressing room and he had previously been praised by Frank Lampard before his sacking.

The former boss was questioned on Coady and James Tarkowski’s partnership, with Lampard responding: “It’s hugely important for us. They’re setting standards here.

“The competition that we have and players that might want to get in the team – frustrated not to get into the team – have got to see this standard that we’re setting now about ourselves being hard to beat.”

Would signing Conor Coady have been a sensible idea for Everton?

While Conor Coady looks set to drop down to the Championship, the centre-back is perfectly capable of still doing a very good job in the top flight.

The Wolves veteran has proven himself as a very good defender during his time in the Midlands and at Goodison Park, while £4.5 million is very little for the service and leadership he brings to the squad.

Welcoming Coady to the Merseyside on a permanent deal seemed like a very safe and sensible option for Sean Dyche, especially given their lack of quality in the backline.