In a recent report, journalist Pete O’Rourke mentioned that Everton are facing stiff competition for Juventus ace Samuel Iling-Junior. It has been claimed that the Toffees will have to rival Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion in the race to recruit the English winger.
Iling-Junior’s Unimpressive Season In Serie A
Iling-Junior is having an underwhelming campaign at the Italian club as he has struggled to be productive for them in the final third. The London-born talent has participated in 19 matches for Juve this season, scoring one goal and grabbing two assists across various competitions.
The 20-year-old has made most of his appearances off the bench which explains why he is only averaging 0.5 shots and 0.5 key passes per game in Serie A. He has even been tidy when distributing possession in the opponent’s half after completing 78.9% of his attempted passes in the Italian top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Italian club will run out in the summer of 2025 which could open the door for the Toffees to sign him on a cut-price deal in the summer transfer period.
Everton Are Facing Stiff Competition For Iling-Junior: Is He Worth The Fight?
Iling-Junior can engineer some space for himself to get some strikes in at goal. He can create the odd chance for his teammates on the offensive end of the field and usually works hard for his team off the ball.
The English sensation is primarily a left-sided wide player but can also play as a right-winger if asked to do so by his manager. However, he has to find a way to improve his productivity in front of the opponent’s goal if he wants to become a successful footballer at the highest level someday.
Iling-Junior would bring more energy and dynamism to Everton‘s attacking department. He is good enough to fight for a regular starting spot at Goodison Park next season. At 20, he has the potential to become a future star in English football as long as he continues to improve with each year. Therefore, Iling-Junior would be well worth the fight if the Toffees can arrange a cut-price move for him in the summer transfer window.