Ronald Koeman started his reign at Everton on a high but it did not last too long as the Toffees were held by Crystal Palace this weekend after a shock loss to Bournemouth in the previous week. Everton’s exceptional start to the season was a bit surprising to be fair as the squad he inherited from his predecessor Robert Martinez lacked quality in almost every area. The Toffees did not do enough business during the summer transfer window and we expect them to storm the transfer market when the transfer window reopens in January.
The Mirror suggests that Everton have identified Sevilla midfielder Stephen N’Zonzi as they key transfer target. The reliable British media house claims that the Toffees’ new director of football Steve Walsh has detailed the club’s scouts to keep a close eye on the former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City star.
Walsh is a long-term admirer of the French midfield dynamo and wanted him at Leicester City from his time at the King Power Stadium. N’Zonzi also ticks all the boxes of the kind of player Ronald Koeman likes. The Dutch manager loves players who have the combination of both pace and power. The signing of Yannick Bolasie and the failed deadline day move for Moussa Sissoko speaks for it.
The Mirror claims that N’Zonzi has a release clause of £20m in his Sevilla contract and the Europa League holders might be stubborn enough to accept anything less than that. However, Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is prepared to back Koeman and Walsh in the transfer market with the injection of money. So, £20m should not be too much of a problem for the Toffees.
N’zonzi has an ample experience in English football from his days at Blackburn and Stoke and plays an integral role for Sevilla now in the middle of the park. N’Zonzi is one of those rare defensive midfielders who demonstrate serious physical strength and aerial ability as well as composure on the ball. As you expect from a player who is 6 ft 3 in, the Frenchman is a force in the air and his 3.8 aerials won this season speaks for it.
N’Zonzi is defensively sound and has made an average of 2 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and 1.6 clearances every game this season. The Frenchman is a brilliant reader of the game and being only 27, he still has his best days ahead of him. The Sevilla star is not just a destroyer in midfield but also a brilliant passer. His 89.1% passing accuracy along with 0.8 key passes every game and 5.6 long balls played speak volumes about his eye for passes.
With Gareth Barry at the dusk of his career and James McCarthy struggling to prove his worth to Koeman, Everton need a midfield enforcer to partner outstanding Idrissa Gueye and N’Zonzi seems like a perfect candidate.
