According to Le quotidian du foot, Everton have approached the entourage of Lucas Tousart. It is believed that the Toffees are keen to learn the midfielder’s views about a potential exit from Olympique Lyon amid uncertainties surrounding his future at the club. The report also claims that Tousart might be identified as a replacement for Idrissa Gueye.
Tousart’s success at Lyon
Tousart joined Olympique Lyon in a €2.6 million move from Valenciennes FC back in 2015. But, it wasn’t until the 2016/17 campaign that he was finally able to make his breakthrough in the Ligue 1. He featured in 22 league matches in that corresponding season, becoming a first-team regular for Lyon since.
During his four year spell at the club, Tousart has notched up 126 competitive appearances for Lyon. He was a mainstay in the midfield for the last two seasons, helping Les Gones consistently take part in the UEFA Champions League.
However, the French club has already roped in Thiago Mendes earlier this summer. The ex-Lille midfielder could pose a direct challenge to Tousart in the first-team next season. And the report believes Mendes’ addition to the club will play a key role should the Frenchman opt to leave Olympic Stadium this summer.
What can he bring to the table?
A defensive midfielder by trade, Tousart is known for his seamless passing and movements in the middle of the park. He has excellent positional awareness and is capable of bridging the gap between defence and midfield. This ability to ease the transition play often plays a key role in teams that employ a possession-based system.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old is adept in augmenting the midfield with crisp passing, which is coupled with his physicality. Indeed, Tousart has a sense of dominance about his rhythm that allows him to not only keep hold of the ball but also make strong tackles in midfield.
Should Everton make a move for Tousart?
The midfield partnership between Gueye and Andre Gomes was, no doubt, a success last season. The fact that Everton have been able to bring back Gomes this summer makes them one of the most intriguing sides to watch going into this new season.
That being said, Gueye is eager to move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer. And in the event of the Senegalese international’s potential departure from the Goodison Park, the biggest challenge Marco Silva will face is to replace him in the number six slot.
Tousart, in that regard, could be a smart choice. The Frenchman, as iterated earlier, is a well-rounded holding midfielder. However, what makes him such an appealing target for Everton is that his technically gifted nature could aid Silva’s style of play that concentrates more on technicality.
Besides, Gomes is likely to thrive alongside Tousart more than he did beside Gueye last season, thus making the 22-year-old an ideal signing for the Merseyside giants.
