With less than two weeks of the transfer window left this summer, Everton’s Marco Silva does not have too much time to lure transfer targets to the club. The Portuguese tactician has a disjointed squad at his disposal and is looking to improve on several areas, that have pulled them down in the last few seasons.
They are expected to complete a number of signings before the deadline day and continue to be linked with some of the finest stars in Europe. The latest name doing the rounds is Brazilian midfielder, Thiago Mendes.
Born and brought up in Sao Luis, the 26-year old moved to Europe with French outfit Lille last summer and made an immediate impact on the club, registering four goals and four assists in all competitions, playing mainly in a central midfield role. However, he was used in various positions throughout the season, and Mendes showed great versatility to put in some impressive performances in most roles.
Known for his ability to read the game and steal the ball off opposition midfielders, the 26-year old has a powerful shot and can test the keeper from long range. He has enough technique to dribble past opponents with ease and can also set up his team on clear goal scoring chances on a consistent basis. His biggest asset is his pace and he naturally has a Brazilian flair to go with it, making him a hard man to mark in the middle of the pitch.
He is calm in possession of the ball and can control the game against the toughest of opponents as he showed last season and is a decent acquisition for Everton, in a position that needs definite strengthening this summer. The Toffees have Morgan Schneiderlin and Idrissa Gueye for the central midfield roles while Tom Davies remains their best backup. Mendes will compete for a place in the first team and add competition for places, that will only improve the squad at Goodison Park. He is also a decent fit to Silva’s free-flowing system and could announce himself to the Premier League in fine fashion.
However, Everton will have to compete with the likes of Wolfsburg, Lazio, AC Milan and Newcastle United for his signature this summer. Lille already have received a bid of €17m from the German outfit and Everton need to make an improved offer to land Mendes this summer.
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He solves an impending problem at the club that can easily cost them another season. He may not be the best option available in the transfer market but Mendes is a player who Silva could give a shot next season.
