In a recent report, AS has claimed that Everton are locked in a three-way battle for Famalicao midfielder Gustavo Assuncao. It is understood that the Toffees could face competition from Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in pursuit of the Brazilian talent, who could be available for a transfer in January or at the end of this campaign for €20m (via AS).
Assuncao’s Rapid Rise To Prominence In Portuguese Football
The 20-year-old has made a strong start to this campaign after putting in a series of dominant displays at the heart of João Pedro Sousa’s midfield. Assuncao has made nine appearances for the Portuguese outfit this term, picking up one assist in various competitions.
The Brazilian midfield ace has done well to average 1.9 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.3 clearances and 0.6 shots per game in the Liga NOS this season. He has even distributed possession immaculately from midfield as he has completed 88.4% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Assuncao is the current skipper of the Famalicao first-team and has performed well to provide adequate protection for his teammates at the back. The Sao Paulo-born talent has been a real revelation at the Municipal Stadium Famalicão, so Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti should consider getting him on board to bolster his squad for the future.
What Will The Brazilian Prospect Bring To Goodison Park?
Assuncao can lead by example and is one of the hardest-working players in the Liga NOS. He has got an exceptional work-ethic to chase down the opposition and can make some important interceptions for his team.
The Brazilian whizkid can clear his lines when required and is also an accurate passer of the ball. However, he is yet to prove his worth outside Portugal, which makes him a risk for any of his potential suitors, including the Toffees. Standing at 1.78m, he can sometimes struggle to win aerial duels at the centre of the park. Hence, there are some concerns over whether he will be able to cope with the physical nature of English football if he ends up sealing a move to the Premier League in the future.
Assuncao will be a perfect understudy to Allan at Goodison Park and will undeniably strengthen Ancelotti’s midfield options in the coming seasons. The Brazil Under-23 international will add some bite and depth to Everton’s midfield department, and at 20, he is undoubtedly a player on the rise.
With all things considered, Ancelotti should think about engineering a move to bring Assuncao to Merseyside as he is a promising young talent who would enhance the quality of his match-day squad for years to come.
