According to a recent exclusive report by Calcio Mercato, Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton side are said to be one of the many European clubs currently keeping tabs on AZ Alkmaar’s 23-year-old Morocco international winger – Oussama Idrissi. It has been suggested that the Toffees will have to ward off pressure from the likes of Leicester City, West Ham, Ajax and even Roma for the talented winger’s signature.
What Makes Oussama Idrissi An Attractive Prospect For Everton?
The Moroccan international has come to be known as one of the deadliest wingers in the Eredivisie this season. The youngster offers a variety of dribbling abilities down the wide areas and tends to be an efficient crosser of the ball as well. Having spent his entire career playing in the Dutch league, the player is a highly technical winger who could be well suited to the Premier League.
Confident and direct in his approach like Theo Walcott, the Moroccan has scored twelve goals in 21 league appearances this season. The Englishman though continues to cut a frustrated figure whenever he steps on the pitch for Carlo Ancelotti. The former Arsenal man has been a regular feature of the Italian tactician’s recent lineups, but there’s no denying that Idrissi would be an obvious upgrade.
What Problems Would Idrissi Solve At Everton?
The Toffees have unsurprisingly conceded the most times of all the teams in the top half of the Premier League table this term and with good reason. They have given up multiple late goals all through the campaign, and have even thrown away some brilliant positions in-game. There have been instances where the players quite visibly take their foot off the pedal and end up paying the price for the complacency later on in the fixture.
The Merseyside club’s recent draw against Newcastle United is the perfect example of the issue being faced by the manager. The Magpies never laid a glove on the Everton defence all night, but then turned up with two goals in second-half stoppage time to stun Goodison Park. Idrissi would provide the quality and conviction required in the final third to kill games off. His enthusiasm and energy would be a smart addition for the Toffees, especially considering the alarming lack of pace they suffer from in the wide areas.
The Moroccan is a gifted crosser of the ball, and would naturally bring the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin into the game with his balls from wide. Moreover, the fact that the 23-year-old scores most of his goals from outside the box will be a bonus. The main Everton wingers – Alex Iwobi, Bernard, and the aforementioned Theo Walcott, have produced just the six goals between them.
Why Everton Must Secure Idrissi Signature In The Summer?
The Toffees, for all their good work, have lacked a couple of consistent creative wingers. Walcott’s rising age and Bernard’s lack of pace are both concerns for Ancelotti. Alex Iwobi, worryingly, is yet to deliver on the massive potential that he showed during his younger days.
Idrissi, at 23, had achieved almost 30 caps for Netherlands at the youth level and recently became a full Moroccan international as well. Full of promise, the youngster’s whipping shots from outrageous distances could come to become a feature at Goodison Park, considering of course, that Ancelotti can lure him from Alkmaar to Merseyside in the summer.
