In a recent report, The Mirror stated that Everton are set to rival Aston Villa in pursuit of Burnley defender Ben Mee. It is believed that both the Toffees and the Villans are leading the race to acquire the services of the English centre-back.
Mee’s Incredible Form At Turf Moor
Mee has endured a tough season at Turf Moor as he couldn’t help the Clarets avoid relegation from the Premier League. The 32-year-old has featured in 24 matches for his current employers during this campaign, scoring three goals in various competitions.
Despite Burnley’s struggles, the Sale-born talent has been a rock at the back after he averaged 1.2 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 4.4 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League.
However, he has struggled to be accurate with his ball distribution based on his pass success rate of 70.4% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
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Is Mee The Right Choice For Everton?
Mee is a solid tackler of the ball and doesn’t mind clearing the danger when the opposition are on the front foot. The English centre-back can time his challenges well to earn the ball back for his side. Furthermore, he is a good header of the ball but needs to improve his passing if he wants to be a good fit for Frank Lampard‘s style of play at Goodison Park.
At 32, Mee has still got a few years left in him to perform at a high level which makes him a decent, short-term choice for the Merseyside outfit to pursue this summer.
We can expect Mee to add more bite and steel to Everton’s backline and offer some serious competition for the likes of Michael Keane, Mason Holgate and Jarrad Branthwaite for a regular starting spot at the Merseyside club.
With all things considered, the Toffees would be wise to seal a move for the Burnley defender this summer as he could help them compete across all fronts in the coming seasons. However, it remains to be seen whether the English defensive ace has got the right mindset to succeed at a top club like Everton.
