Everton have reportedly joined the three-way battle for Sevilla midfielder and France international, Steven N’Zonzi. The 29-year-old has previously played under Unai Emery and is being heavily linked with a move to Arsenal. So it goes without saying that Marco Silva will have to make a convincing offer to beat out Gunners’ interest.
N’Zonzi is currently serving his country in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, having already made three appearances as a substitute. He has 7 caps to his name for the France national side and 6 for the U21 youth team.
He has been associated with the White and Reds for the past 3 seasons but was once a prominent figure in the Stoke City ranks. The central midfielder had served the Potters for 3 years during which he made 120 appearances and contributed with 7 goals and 4 assists.
His game is centered at maintaining control from the central areas. Be it holding onto possession or winning back the ball with an interception or a tackle, N’Zonzi often delivers with consistency and vigour.
The Frenchman had made 44 appearances for Sevilla last term and was on display for the side in the UEFA Champions League, helping them progress to the quarter-final stage of the competition.
He commanded the midfield against Manchester United with his clever turns and quick link up play. The 29-year-old has developed himself into a top professional in his position and almost draws comparisons to the Spanish genius Sergio Busquets.
He started his career with Amiens but spent his early years in the prestigious youth ranks of Paris Saint-Germain. After making 37 senior team appearances for the French outfit, he got traded away to Blackburn Rovers.
N’Zonzi impressed for the Riversiders during his 96 appearances but requested manager, Steve Kean for a transfer following the club’s relegation from the Premier League. The midfielder is known for his maturity and composure on the pitch.
Standing at 6 feet 6 inches tall, he maintains his towering figure to shield the ball well and also has great technical abilities to go along with it. Everton could use a cool head like N’Zonzi in their midfield to better implement Marco Silva’s tactics onto the pitch.
The Toffees manager likes his team to play in an attacking style with a lot of moving bodies in midfield. With Morgan Schneiderlin failing to impress last term and James McCarthy suffering a double leg break, Everton are severely depleted in the holding midfield position and N’Zonzi can be the perfect addition to their squad, playing an important role beside Tom Davies and Idrissa Gueye in the next term at the middle of the pitch.
