Everton could be set to instantly replace one outbound star with a potential upgrade…
What’s the latest?
That’s according to transfer expert David Ornstein, who took to Twitter to issue an update on the Toffees’ pursuit of Kamaldeen Sulemana.
With Anthony Gordon having now departed for £45m, the new boss Sean Dyche will look to reinvest it with intelligence to ensure his side has the best possible chance of ensuring survival.
This young wide man seems like he could be their first foray, as Ornstein wrote on Monday morning:
“Everton made verbal offer on Sunday for permanent signing of Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana. Would see EFC reinvest some Gordon proceeds in direct replacement. Stade Rennais seeking ~€30m (£26m) for 20yo who wants to go. SaintsFC still keen”.
The news came just hours before news of another bid from the Toffees, one totalling £45m for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.
Gordon upgrade
It seems like the exit of Gordon from Goodison Park has been met with one of the more jovial reactions from the Everton fanbase, scratching their heads at what exactly spurred Newcastle United to spend that kind of money on a 21-year-old with just seven senior goals to his name.
Having burst onto the scene, the boyhood blue’s spark soon fizzled out and he struggled to find consistency in a royal blue shirt. As such, he was often dropped this season by Frank Lampard in favour of the equally woeful Dwight McNeil.
With clear attitude problems, outlined in his refusal to train in order to force a move, he will likely not be missed.
It does clear the way for some fresh talent to enter the club, and in Sulemana he would have a clean slate with which to hopefully fire Everton to safety.
With just three goal contributions to his name this season, it has admittedly been a poor campaign for the 20-year-old. To truly have a big impact on this second half of the season, he will need to be even better than last season, where he earned eight goal contributions across all competitions.
This is still a marked improvement on Gordon’s tally in the previous two seasons, who had only mustered three goal contributions this campaign and six the season prior in the league.
However, what the Ghana international will offer is pure pace and skill which few currently do at the club, which he uses to great effect.
Sulemana injects danger into any game he is part of, best outlined by the fact that he ranks in the top 2% for dribbles completed when compared against other wingers across Europe. He truly is the “young sensation” that journalist Yaw Ampofo Jr dubbed him.
What will please Dyche further is that he is also not afraid to do his defensive duties, and with him likely to be employed within a 4-4-2 system, this will be imperative. When compared against the same group, he ranks in the top 9% for tackles and the top 2% for interceptions, highlighting where he really shines.
With a sparkling work rate to pair with his insatiable talent on the ball, should he start to convert this into more of a tangible threat then he will likely far surpass Gordon’s short legacy at the club.