David Moyes, manager of Everton, looks on.placeholder image
David Moyes, manager of Everton, looks on. | Getty Images
Everton have been linked with a Ballon d’Or nominee in what could be a stunning transfer
Everton may need to find some extra quality in the January transfer window, as the Toffees reflect on their first few months of Premier League football at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes’ side began the season in the top half of the table, but were 13th as we reached the third and final international break of the season until March.
The Scottish manager might look to sign new faces in the winter to solve growing problems involving particularly goal-scoring areas. The Toffees are still without a prolific striker despite the summer signing of Thierno Barry from Villarreal, whilst there has not been enough contribution from midfield as the Merseyside outfit have scored just 12 goals this season so far.
Defensively there have been no major issues, as can be expected of this Everton side, but some extra attacking quality in January could see them reach a new level, with one top potential signing coming to the fore.
Everton tipped for huge bid for Napoli’s Scott McTominay
As per reports by Fichajes, Everton are ‘preparing an offer’ for Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay as Moyes looks to bolster his ranks in January with the signing of the Lancaster-born Scotland international.
A massive €70 million (£61m) bid is reportedly set to be tabled, for a man who signed for the Naples giants for just £25.7m last summer. Such has the 28-year-old’s outstanding form been in Italy, where he scored 13 goals last season and was named the Serie A MVP as Napoli won the Scudetto.
While it is said that McTominay’s departure would be a ‘blow’ to Napoli and Serie A, such a significant transfer fee could be considered by the Italian champions if Everton do come calling for their star man, who already has experience in the Premier League with Manchester United and would return to England a far more complete player than he was when he left.
McTominay could the missing piece of the Everton puzzle
McTominay has been famed as a goal-scoring midfielder in recent years, capable of arriving late in the box and impacting games when it matters most. He could fit in perfectly in the attacking midfield slot for the Toffees, in the place of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - who started the season well but has seen goal contributions dry up in recent weeks, amidst calls that he could be more effective playing in a deeper position.
The signing of McTominay would give Everton a Premier League-proven midfielder who is an expert at helping both offensively and defensively, while providing the necessary goals at big moments to drag the Toffees up the Premier League table and towards the European challenge they dream of at their brand-new stadium. McTominay could be the perfect signing to help make that dream a reality.
Italian football icon Roberto Di Matteo recently spoke of the impact McTominay has already made at Napoli: "Go to Napoli and you'll experience it yourself. Winning Serie A is unlikely for the southern teams. In Italy, normally the northern teams dominate Serie A.
“Now you have Napoli once [winning the league] and then twice. So it's an event, it's a unique event. So, Scott McTominay is an absolute legend down there.
“He took everybody by surprise. Who would have expected that? I think even Antonio Conte was surprised by his performances. I know he liked him and that's why he signed him, but for him to become a key player not only on the defensive side and link-up play but scoring crucial goals too was a surprise. Conte has found a side of his game that I don't think even McTominay knew that he could have.”
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