Everton are showing an interest in Parma midfielder Mandela Keita.
It has been reported by Sky Sports that Everton have joined the race to sign Keita, who models his game on N’Golo Kante.
The Toffees could be without Idrissa Gana Gueye next season, as he’s currently due to become a free agent, so the Parma star seems to be a potential replacement.
What would you do with Idrissa Gana Gueye this summer? 😬
He's got a one-year extension clause in his deal…
That said, ahead of the potential signing, we’ve decided to have a closer look at Keita’s profile and what type of player he is.
Mandela Keita profile
- Age: 24 (10/05/2002)
- Place of birth: Leuven, Belgium
- Height: 5ft 11
- Position: Central midfielder, defensive midfield
Mandela Keita career stats
As you would expect for a deep-lying midfielder, Keita isn’t much of a goalscorer, as he’s only scored twice in his career.
One striking and encouraging factor for Everton is that the 24-year-old has already amassed well over a century of appearances in Belgium and Italy’s top-flight.
So despite his youth, Keita is a well-seasoned professional having made his senior debut over five years ago as a teenager.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Parma Calcio | 70 | 1 | 3 |
| Royal Antwerp | 62 | 1 | 4 |
| Oud-Heverlee Leuven | 40 | 0 | 2 |
How would you feel about Hayden Hackney becoming Everton’s first signing? 🤩
What type of midfielder is Mandela Keita?
Well, Keita really stands out defensively, and that’s evidenced by his impressive Fotmob statistics last season.
The one-cap Belgium international recovered the ball 154 times for the Serie A outfit, which is quite staggering.
He also made 74 tackles, which averages out to more than two a game, and he made a commendable 44 interceptions.
Keita isn’t just a destroyer though, he’s actually very competent in possession of the ball, as he maintained an 88% pass completion rate.
The 2002-born also completed 29 successful dribbles, so it’s easy to see why Everton’s recruitment team are having a close look at him.
Whether he’s ready to come in and immediately replace Gueye remains to be seen.
Perhaps a sensible approach would be to renew Gueye’s deal and allow Keita to learn off him for a season.
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