Everton have confirmed on their official website that they have completed the capture of ex-Newcastle United striker Solomon Rondon from Chinese club Dalian Professional on a free transfer. It has also been revealed that the Venezuela international penned a two-year contract with the Toffees on the transfer deadline day and will now reunite with his former Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez at Goodison Park.
Rondon’s Recent Loan Spell In Russian Football
Rondon had a fruitful six-month loan spell at CSKA Moscow last season when he put in a few eye-catching displays as the focal point of their attack. The 31-year-old banged in four goals and grabbed two assists in 13 matches for the Russian outfit in the previous campaign across all competitions.
The Caracas-born sensation impressed in patches for the Moscow giants as he averaged 2.9 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Russian Premier League. However, he was a bit sloppy when distributing the ball in the final third after making 73.7% of his attempted passes in the Russian top tier (stats via whoscored).
Rondon has got a wealth of experience under his belt at the highest level and could prove to be a shrewd addition to the Toffees squad as he has what it takes to compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison for a place in Benitez’s starting XI.
Is Rondon The Right Choice For The Toffees?
Despite losing a yard of pace from his game, Rondon can still be an effective presence in the attacking end of the field as he has a knack for creating space for himself to get a few shots in on-target. He remains a decent finisher in front of the opposition goal and doesn’t mind working hard to run the channels for his team. The experienced Venezuelan striker can use his strength to hold the ball up for his teammates and usually packs a lot of power with his shot attempts.
At 31, Rondon might still have a few good years left in him which makes him a decent choice for Everton in the short term. As mentioned earlier, Benitez knows that player well from their time together at Newcastle United and would add some much-needed depth to his attacking department, especially after the recent departure of Moise Kean earlier this summer.
Rondon is good enough to compete for a regular starting spot at Goodison Park and won’t mind serving as a squad player for the Toffees. Benitez can even expect him to be one of the leaders in the Everton dressing room as the striker has the experience to get the best out of his teammates on the field.
