According to French outlet Foot 01, Everton are among the clubs interested in the services of Morgan Sanson. The Marseille midfielder is expected to leave the club this summer as the French outfit look to comply with the Financial Fair Play rules after missing out on Champions League next season. As a result, they are willing to offload the midfielder for a fee of €30 million.
However, the Toffees are joined by Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United in the pursuit of Sanson. And it is believed that any deal for the Marseille star would need to be finalised before 30th June (i.e. today), which is unlikely.
Sanson’s career in Ligue 1
Sanson has been one of the most consistent midfielders in Ligue 1 for the past few years. He has made almost 200 appearances in the French top flight. Eighty-three of those league appearances came at Marseille, where the midfielder is enjoying a good spell following his €9 million move from Montpellier in 2017.
The 24-year-old featured in 33 games in the recently concluded 2018/19 campaign, though he ultimately failed to help his side finish in the top four. And Les Olympiens will likely look to offload the Frenchman as they aim to save on wages this summer.
What can Sanson bring to the table?
Sanson is predominantly a central midfielder, who is known for his attacking contribution. During his two year spell at Marseille, he has been involved in 32 goals across all competitions.
What makes him such a productive midfielder is his ability to make driving runs into the final third and link up with teammates. The 24-year-old often tends to get inside the box when probing the opposition. He notably scored nine goals in the 2017/18 campaign, eight of which came inside the penalty area.
Furthermore, Sanson is a versatile operator on the pitch as he can also feature in the holding midfield role. This makes it easier for any manager to accomodate him in any formation.
Should Everton step up their pursuit of Sanson?
Everton have recently strengthened their midfield unit by bringing back Andre Gomes from Barcelona on a permanent move. And the addition of Sanson could further revamp their central midfield that lacks reliable options aside from Idrissa Gueye and the returning Gomes.
Sanson’s ability to move forward and create chances would take some of the burdens off Gylfi Sigurdsson, who was the creator-in-chief for the Toffees last season. It could also help Silva rotate his squad with more freedom, and that could be important given the long and strenuous schedule of English football. Hence, the Frenchman could be a viable target for Everton this summer, even if a deal is not concluded by today.
