Everton could follow up Hayden Hackney with Mandela Keita – and that could have significance for one player in particular.
David Moyes is looking to strengthen his squad after overseeing a really poor end to last season.
If you were Angus Kinnear who would you be going all out for this summer? 💰
Everton threw away a golden chance to secure European football, finishing 13th in the table in the end.
Several positions are on the agenda, with midfield seemingly one of the priorities right now. A deal has been agreed to sign Hayden Hackney, but it seems Everton could sign another.
Mandela Keita is on Everton’s radar, and that could be quite interesting for Tim Iroegbunam.
Tim Iroegbunam’s Everton days could be numbered amid Mandela Keita links
News of Everton’s interest in Mandela Keita could now be very interesting for Tim Iroegbunam.
Last season, Iroegbunam was used sparingly, playing mainly when Idrissa Gana Gueye was unavailable.
He had some good games, but ultimately he did not break into the starting XI and stay there. Once Gueye was available again, he generally returned to the bench, unless James Garner moved to right-back, opening up a midfield spot.
Keita and Iroegbunam have quite similar physical profiles.
Iroegbunam is just a few centimetres taller, and the pair play in quite similar ways.
Keita is highly energetic and gets around the pitch really well, and is mostly about ball-winning.
Iroegbunam is best known for his athleticism, and is also a dab hand at winning the ball back.
Keita and Iroegbunam are also both quite press-resistant, and can keep the ball when put into sticky situations.
Where they differ, though, is on the ball.
Keita is more composed and passes the ball with greater accuracy than Iroegbunam, who is a bit more untidy (88% vs 82%, via Squawka).
At the moment, Iroegbunam does have interest from Hull City, so it may well be that Keita actually is being targeted as his replacement.
Hackney feels like more of a potential replacement or successor to Gueye.
Both situations are interesting though, with Everton clearly feeling that midfield is a key area to address this summer.
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