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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
It seems that with just less than two weeks remaining of the transfer window, the priorities for Everton are securing an attacker as well as a replacement for the seemingly PSG-bound Idrissa Gueye.
Wilfried Zaha, Moise Kean, Nicolas Pepe, Malcom and David Neres have all been linked as potential forward options, although their hunt for a Gueye replacement seems to have only two candidates as of now.
Toulouse powerhouse Ibrahim Sangare, and Mainz 05’s versatile star Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
The Toffees have been linked with a move for Sangare along with Tottenham, with an offer between €20m-€25m (£17.8m – £22.3m) reportedly enough to tempt the Ligue 1 side into negotiations.
In Gbamin’s case, Everton have spoken to Mainz about the Ivorian, and the Bundesliga club value him at £30m.
As you can see by the stats above, one man is vastly better than the other based on last season.
21-year-old Sangare betters 23-year-old Gbamin in every defensive department apart from interceptions per game, where the pair are matched with one apiece – the Toulouse man’s 3.6 tackles per game are notably better than Gbamin’s 1.6.
However, whilst it may sound foolish given the fact that Sangare is better and cheaper, Everton must opt for Gbamin.
Why? Well, the 6 foot 1 Ivory Coast international can also play at right-back as well as at centre-back, along with his natural position at defensive midfield.
You may ask what the significance of that is. Basically, with the pursuit for Kurt Zouma looking unrealistic now, Everton are extremely weak in central defence with just Yerry Mina and Michael Keane as senior options after Phil Jagielka also departed.
Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…
Furthermore, the position of right-back is also a weak one with Seamus Coleman and the returning Mason Holgate the only occupants. The Irishman didn’t have the best of times last term (at his own admission), whilst Holgate was loaned out mid-season, meaning that neither of Marco Silva’s right-back options are standout names.
Jonjoe Kenny has also departed the club for Schalke, further weakening the area.
Sangare may be significantly better, but he isn’t versatile whereas Gbamin can cover a number of positions – coincidentally, ones that Everton are severely in need of fresh faces in.
In terms of a move making sense, targeting Gbamin over Sangare should be a no brainer.
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