In a recent report, The Telegraph has claimed that Everton are set to rival West Ham United for Mainz defender Moussa Niakhate. It has been revealed that the Toffees are planning to move in for the French centre-back during this summer transfer window if they can avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
Niakhate’s Impressive Form At The MEWA Arena
Niakhate has enjoyed a solid campaign in French football as he has put in a handful of promising performances at the heart of Bo Svensson’s defence. The 26-year-old has banged in three goals in 26 matches for the German outfit for his current club this season across all fronts.
The Roubaix-born sensation has caught the eye by averaging 1.3 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.0 clearances per game in Ligue 1. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from the back after making 77.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Niakhate Bring To Everton?
Niakhate has decent pace under his belt that helps him make some important recovering runs at the back. Standing at 1.90m, he can use his strength to win his fair share of aerial duels and is a solid tackler of the ball as well on the defensive end of the field.
The French centre-back is usually quick to spot the danger and doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the front foot. At 26, Niakhate is currently playing at his prime, so we can expect him to make an instant impact at Goodison Park if the Toffees decide to acquire his services this summer.
Niakhate will bring a lot of bite and steel to Everton’s defensive department and could serve as an ideal replacement for Yerry Mina at the Merseyside club.
Thus, Frank Lampard should think about recruiting him when the transfer window commences later this year. He will no doubt enhance the quality of Everton’s match-day squad and could even help them push for a top-half finish in the Premier League next season.
