Everton are being linked with a move to sign Ngal’ayel Mukau.
According to Turkish outlet Ajansspor, Everton have joined Galatasaray in the race to sign the Lille midfielder.
David Moyes is clearly eager to bolster his ranks in the middle of the park, with Hayden Hackney already joining from Middlesbrough.
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Mukau appears to be a potential Idrissa Gana Gueye replacement, with the Senegal international departing Everton upon the expiry of his contract earlier this month.
With that said, here is a bit more information on Mukau’s background and profile ahead of a potential transfer to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Ngal’ayel Mukau profile
- Age: 21 (3rd November, 2004)
- Height: 6ft 1
- Place of birth: Antwerpen, Belgium
- Foot: Left
- Position: Defensive midfield
Mukau’s career stats
Mukau made his senior debut for KV Mechelen in January 2023 at the age of 18.
Since then, the 21-year-old has earned a move to Ligue 1 giants Lille and has established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the division.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Lille | 78 | 4 | 1 |
| KV Mechelen | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Jong KV Mechelen | 21 | 2 | 0 |
Mukau is extremely versatile
Mukau is a defensive midfielder by trade, but he actually played most of his football as a right midfielder last season.
The DR Congo international also operated as a number 10 on a few occasions, so if Everton were to land his signature, he’d be able to cover a number of positions.
At the World Cup, Mukau was deployed as a number six, so perhaps Toffees scouts have identified him as a target for that particular role.
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What are Mukau’s strengths and weaknesses?
According to FotMob’s data, Mukau really excels at the defensive aspect of the game.
The 2004-born made a whopping 52 defensive contributions in 30 Ligue 1 appearances last season.
Mukau won 29 tackles and made 14 interceptions, so quite evidently he’d replace many of Gueye’s qualities at Everton.
The Toffees target is also very proficient in possession, as he had an impressive 87.2% pass completion rate.
Mukau is strong in the air, too, winning a commendable 13 aerial duels.
In terms of Mukau’s weaknesses, the statistics suggest he could improve his shooting, as only five of his 20 shots were on target last term.
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How much would Mukau cost Everton?
Well, given the level of interest in Mukau, it won’t be a cheap deal for Everton.
Last summer, Lille president Olivier Letang made it clear that the club would not sanction his sale for any less than £59m.
“Unless an offer of €70million euros (£59.5m) arrives. It would be difficult to refuse something that is unrefusable, but the objective now is to keep the lads who are here.”
Mukau’s stock has risen since then, so the Toffees may have to shatter their club-record transfer to land his signature.
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