Why Orel Mangala’s transfer to Everton has just been delayed on deadline day

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Everton are closing in on signing Orel Mangala, which should kickstart a supremely busy deadline day for Kevin Thelwell.

With a few positions that certainly need improving, but with finances still disappointingly sparse, it will take some really clever manoeuvring to find a way to compete in the market today.

If anyone can do it under such duress it’s Thelwell though, who will want to tie up as many high-quality additions for Sean Dyche to utilise.

Mangala is one such example, although a fresh piece of information on the matter could strike fear into some fans…

Everton suffer fresh hit in Orel Mangala deal

The latest on Everton’s deal for Orel Mangala actually comes courtesy of Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, who details a fresh hitch in a saga that has really ebbed and flowed.

At first, it seemed like the Toffees would cruise to his signature, as the only interested party in the Lyon midfielder.

And yet, out of nowhere, Fiorentina emerged, causing reports to suggest that they had successfully hijacked the deal.

Fabrizio Romano attested this was not the case, and, as often occurs, he was right. It has now been well-documented that he flew to Liverpool last night to complete his medical.

However, Plettenberg has now added another spanner in the works, suggesting that things have not gone so smoothly on this end, writing: ‘Been told the loan deal with Everton will happen. Only the medical has been delayed for Orel #Mangala.’

What are Everton getting with Orel Mangala?

By acquiring this Belgium international, who featured heavily for his country throughout their Euro 2024 campaign, the Toffees are poised to acquire an experienced and incisive operator who could unlock their midfield.

After all, whilst he is far from a spectacular signing who will stun fans with his extravagance, what he does is so important to ensuring a team functions properly.

Able to screen the backline in a double pivot or as a sole six, he is energetic and intelligent with his movement.

He breaks up play with ease, but will seldom squander possession when he wins it back.

More than happy to just make the simple pass and consider it a job well done, this kind of safety in the midfield will be a welcome addition ahead of the unreliable Idrissa Gana Gueye.

A press-resistant enforcer with fantastic technique and game intelligence, Mangala could revolutionise Everton, allowing Tim Iroegbunam to thrive even more whilst protecting the backline and affording the attacking players more license to strut their stuff.