Everton are reportedly admirers of AC Milan full-back Davide Calabria and are said to have sent scouts to watch the young defender in action, but their hopes of concluding a deal with the Rossoneri look slim at best.

Calabria broke into the first-team set-up at the San Siro under former manager Vincenzo Montella and, after a rather frustrating first half of the season which saw him earn precious little minutes, he has been handed a starting under a new role under Gennaro Gattuso.

Calabria has started eight matches for Milan since the turn of the year, and his performances have seemingly piqued the interest of Everton, according to a report from Calico Mercato relayed by Football Italia.

The troubled Merseysiders have spent inordinate sums on players in recent months -upwards of £180m according to Transfermarkt - but still need to conduct a lot of surgery on a squad that has severely underperformed this season.

Everton currently have specialist right-backs Seamus Coleman and Jonjoe Kenny available to them, but Calabria's ability to play on the right and left sides of defence seems to appeal to the powers that be at Goodison Park, who have so far failed to address the glaring need to recruit cover and competition for the ageing Leighton Baines.

Though a new full-back could be of the utmost importance to the Everton hierarchy during the summer transfer window, but they have may have to direct their attentions away from Calabria. Milan quickly dismissed any possibility of their prized academy graduate leave the San Siro, the report added, and are not interested in entertaining offers for the Italy youth international, who has certainly benefited from the misfortune of summer signing Andrea Conti, who suffered knee ligament damage during the embryonic stages of the current campaign.

Davide Calabria
Calabria is highly thought of by those at Milan Getty Images