In a recent report, Fichajes has claimed that Everton are ready to pay up to €24m for Stoke City defender Harry Souttar. It is understood that the Toffees have identified the Australian centre-back as a target for the January transfer window.
Souttar’s Impressive Numbers In English Football This Season
The Abderdeen-born sensation has proven himself to be a rock at the back for the Potters during this campaign after producing a run of dominant display at the centre of their backline. Souttar has made 15 appearances for the Staffordshire outfit this season, netting one goal in the process on all fronts.
The five-time Australia international deserves a lot of credit for averaging 1.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 5.3 clearances per 90 minutes in the EFL Championship and the League Cup. The 23-year-old has even taken care of the ball when distributing it out from the back, based on his pass completion rate of 82.5% in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Souttar Bring To Everton?
Standing at 2.01m, Souttar is a colossus presence on the defensive end of the field and can often use his powerful frame to win his fair share of aerial duels. He is a tough-tackling centre-back who can make a few crucial interceptions inside his half. The Australian talent also doesn’t take too many risks when clearing the danger and can even put his body on the line to block some goal-bound shots from the opposition.
A defender of Souttar’s skillset will be a shrewd addition to Rafael Benitez‘s match-day squad as he would undoubtedly bring plenty of bite and steel to the Toffees backline. At 23, the Stoke City star is only going to get better with each season which makes him a decent fit for the Merseyside outfit in the long run.
Souttar’s current deal at the bet365 Stadium runs out in the summer of 2025, so Everton would do well to land him for €24m when the transfer window commences at the start of next year. He would definitely increase competition for places within Benitez’s squad and could help them compete for a major trophy in the coming seasons.
