EVERTON are closing in on a deal for Rangers defender Nathan Patterson.

The Ibrox ace is in advanced talks with the Merseyside club and a deal is expected to be completed during the January window.

Everton will pay Rangers around £12million for the services of Patterson with add-ons taking the deal to £16million.

It is also understood that the Merseyside club will pay almost all of the initial fee up-front.

Everton tried to swoop for the Scotland international in the summer but were unable to get a deal over the line.

Meanwhile, Everton manager Rafael Benitez blamed more errors for their 3-2 defeat at home to Brighton but insisted it was not the time “to point fingers”.

Brighton were 2-0 up in 21 minutes through goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Dan Burn and, while Everton academy graduate Anthony Gordon scored his first goals for the club, Mac Allister’s second sandwiched between them was enough for the visitors.

To compound matters, Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a penalty at 2-0 in his first appearance since August.

Everton have won just once in the last 12 matches and are not helping themselves as they have conceded the first goal 14 times in 20 matches this season.

“We have shown character in a lot of games and played well in a lot of games but we are not capable of avoiding mistakes which are costing games,” said the under-pressure former Liverpool manager.

“We had a slow start, conceded an early goal and after another mistake we conceded from a corner.

“It is not easy when you have these mistakes and then after we miss a penalty and it is even more difficult.”