The Toffees received a huge transfer boost with respect to one of their major targets this coming January as Aymen Abdennour has recently ruled out a move to play in China. The Valencia defender has been in high demand after a series of impressive performances.
Everton were a candidate pursuing the Tunisian international last season but it couldn’t materialise. Landing him at Goodison Park, however, won’t be an easy option as a number of clubs are eyeing the talented defender, with French giants Marseille being one of the sides.
Apparently, the centre-back has also been offered a lump sum contract by an unnamed club in the Far East to move there in January. But Abdennour has decided to reject the offer as he wants to continue his career in Europe.
Abdennour joined Valencia from French club AS Monaco in 2015 after he worked up his way through a host of clubs like ES Sehel, Werder Bremen, Toulouse and then Monaco. A centre-back naturally, Abdennour can also play as a left-back.
Despite having one of the best defences in the league on paper, Koeman hasn’t found the sharpness from the likes of Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams or Seamus Coleman. They have often found themselves conceding quite easily. The most inflicting defeat was from Chelsea, who put in five goals.
Abdennour’s playing style suits the Premier League to some extent. The defender likes to play short passes and his tackles are nicely timed, although he is not very consistent at it. He has won eight tackles this season with a success rate of 32%. He has made 25 interceptions, 28 clearances and three blocks so far in eight appearances.
His game reading abilities are also commendable. A player of his stature could easily adapt to Everton’s style of play and break into the first team, as we have seen with Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi.
At 187cm, Abdennour could be a decent aerial threat too, which looks to be particularly missing in the Everton side. The Toffees have hardly been lethal from set pieces. He could give them a real edge, which is quintessential in a league like that of England.
Everton haven’t had the best of the seasons so far despite starting quite well. They have failed to win most of their games in the first half of the season. However, it is the topsy-turvy nature of the league that has still given them a chance to finish in the top six.
Having someone like Abdennour could really boost their squad especially when the team is entering a hectic schedule in the coming months.
