In a recent print edition, Corriere Dello Sport has mentioned that Everton are in pole position to recruit Juventus defender Merih Demiral this summer. It is believed that the Toffees are leading the chase for the Turkish centre-half who is waiting for the European Championships to kick-off before deciding on his future (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Demiral’s Injury Ravaged Campaign In Italian Football
Demiral has endured an injury-plagued season at Turin but deserves credit for filling in as a useful squad player for Juve over the past ten months. The Turkish defensive ace has made 24 appearances for the Italian outfit this term, picking up one assist and four yellow cards across all competitions.
The 23-year-old has performed well on the defensive end of the field after he averaged 0.8 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game in the Serie A this season. He has also been a tidy ball distributor as he has completed 94% of his attempted passes in the Italian first division (stats via whoscored).
Demiral has been unlucky with injuries of late but has shown some signs of maturity during the course of the 2020-21 campaign. Hence, he will be a decent signing for the Toffees if they manage to bring him on board in this off-season.
What Will Demiral Bring To Goodison Park?
Demiral can use his strong 1.90m frame to overpower the opposition and win some crucial aerial duels at the back. He can time his tackles well and is often quick to react to the danger when in trouble of being exposed inside his half.
The Turkish defender excels at playing his way out from the back, so we can expect him to settle into Everton’s playing style quite well. However, the jury is still out on whether he can cope with the high intensity of English football if the Toffees manage to bring him to Merseyside this summer.
At 23, Demiral will only get better with each season but for now, he needs to concentrate on finding a regular run of games at the highest level so that he can establish himself as a world-class player in his position someday.
All in all, Demiral will bring plenty of bite and steel to Everton’s backline and could go on to form a solid defensive partnership with Michael Keane and Yerry Mina at Goodison Park in the coming seasons. Hence, the Merseyside club should think about going all out to secure the Turkish sensation’s services ahead of the new season.
