After a tough preseason campaign, Everton are continuing to strengthen their squad in a bid to make the first campaign at the Hill Dickinson Stadium a memorable one. The Toffees have already brought in several new faces, including a new striker to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Thierno Barry from Villarreal.
More recently, David Moyes has added Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to his squad. The Toffees have snapped up the Englishman on a £29m deal, albeit with that including £4m in add-ons.
Moyes’ side will seemingly add another midfielder, with the club working behind the scenes to add depth in the middle of the park.
Everton’s next midfield target
Dewsbury-Hall is not the only Premier League star that the Toffees are targeting. David Ornstein recently reported that they have opened discussions with Manchester City over a season-long loan move for Jack Grealish, with the Englishman looking set for an exit from the Etihad this summer after missing out on their recent Club World Cup exploits.
Elsewhere, meanwhile, the Merseysiders are still focusing on other targets at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
According to a recent report from Spanish newspaper El Mira, Everton are close to signing UD Almeria midfielder Dion Lopy. The Premier League side have readied a bid for the player and are willing to fork out around €25m (£22m).
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That figure is said to be an 'irresistible amount' for the Spanish side, with the report outlining 'barring a drastic turn of events', Lopy will 'soon pack his bags' in order to seal a move to Merseyside.
Why Lopy would be a good signing
At just 23 years of age, Lopy is already a full senior international, which is a testament to the quality he possesses. Described as one of many “exciting” Senegalese talents by analyst Ben Mattinson, Lopy has already garnered a strong reputation.
Dion Lopy
After breaking through the academy at French side Stades Reims, Lopy made 62 appearances for the club, grabbing two assists from midfield. From there, he made the move to Spain, joining Almeria, where he has become a key player.
Last term for the club in La Liga 2, the 23-year-old played 36 times, chipping in with one goal and three assists. He tended to operate from the base of midfield, although did push further forward at times, too.
Moyes would surely love for the potential new Everton midfield to become the second coming of Idrissa Gueye. The Toffees star, who is an international teammate of Lopy’s, was a key player last term in the final season at Goodison Park.
He helped keep his side in the Premier League and achieve a comfortable mid-table finish.
Gueye-Kulusevski-Everton
He played 37 times in the top flight last season, missing just one game against Leicester City at the start of the campaign.
Like Lopy did for Almeria, Gueye sat at the base of the midfield and showed just how good a ball-winner he is. His 133 tackles were the most in the top flight.
If Lopy can replicate what Gueye has done for the Merseysiders in midfield, then he would surely be a successful signing. When looking at the numbers via Sofascore, there is certainly reason to believe he can become as good of a ball winner in the Premier League as his Senegal teammate.
Last season, the 23-year-old made 78 tackles and 46 interceptions for Almeria in the league, averaging a combined 3.6 per 90 minutes. Compare that to Gueye’s stats, courtesy of Sofascore, and they stack up well, with the Everton number 27 making 133 tackles and 48 interceptions, a combined average of 5.3 each game.
Lopy and Gueye key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Tackles
Interceptions
Aerial duels won
Key passes
Accurate long balls
Dribbles completed
Stats from Sofascore
Of course, Lopy still has some way to go before he matches, or nears, Gueye’s numbers from last season. However, he has all the tools to suggest he can replicate his impact in midfield and be the second coming of his compatriot.
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After the deals for Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish are completed, signing Lopy could be Moyes’ next big focus to strengthen in the middle of the park, and buy a long-term replacement for Gueye.