According to Liverpool Echo, Everton have reportedly enquired about Dango Ouattara of FC Lorient amid loan speculations over Arnaut Danjuma. It is understood that the Toffees are looking to bring in reinforcements to bolster their attack as they find themselves in the relegation zone after racking up poor performances in their recent outings.
Ouattara’s Impressive Numbers For Lorient In Ligue 1 This Season
Ouattara is having a fine campaign with the French club as he has put in a series of productive displays in the final third. The 20-year-old has banged in five goals and earned four assists in 16 matches for Lorient this season in the French first division.
The Ouagadougou-born talent has proven himself to be a good performer in the final third based on his average of 2.9 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game in Ligue 1. However, he has to find a way to improve his ball distribution in the attacking third, based on his pass completion rate of 66.1% in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Stade du Moustoir is set to expire in the summer of 2024. Therefore, the Toffees could potentially sign him on a cut-price deal before the end of this month.
Should Everton Move In For Ouattara This Month?
Ouattara can create space for himself to get a few shots in at goal and can be a decent finisher in the final third when he is playing with confidence up top. He has the vision to set up his teammates with some clear-cut goal-scoring chances in the final third. Even though he stands at just 1.77 meters, he can still dominate his opponents in the air using his strong frame and clever positioning inside the penalty box. The Burkina-Faso international can shoot the ball with power and accuracy from a distance and remains a hard worker on the defensive end as well.
He is primarily an attacking midfielder but remains versatile to feature virtually anywhere over the frontline which makes him a brilliant acquisition for Frank Lampard. We can expect Outtara to inject more firepower into Everton‘s attacking department at Goodison Park. He would also add more competition to the Merseyside club upon his arrival.
At 20, Ouattara has a lot of room for improvement and could prove to be a decent long-term option for the Toffees over the coming years. However, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain his good form in the Premier League where he might struggle to cope with the physicality and high intensity of regular first-team football.
