Everton remain interested in signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, a move which would not surprise journalist Simon Phillips.
What’s the latest?
Calciomercatoweb noted at the end of November that the Serie A giants were keen on a swap deal with the Toffees which would see the American move to Merseyside and Amadou Onana coming to Turin.
Having only arrived at Goodison Park in the summer, the Belgian’s huge physical presence has already been relied upon heavily by Frank Lampard. The 44-year-old will be keen to bolster his midfield whilst keeping hold of his key assets, and Phillips gave his thoughts on this potential deal to GIVEMESPORT.
He said: “I’m not surprised to see him linked with Everton at all. I think it’d be a good signing for them if they could get that one done.”
Another report stated that a fee of €30m (£26m) could be enough to secure the American’s services.
Complete his midfield
Should he sign for Everton, McKennie would join a long and illustrious list of players to have travelled from the USA to wear the famous royal blue jersey.
Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Joe Max-Moore and Brian McBride are just a few in recent history to have made that well-trodden transatlantic journey to Goodison Park, with varying degrees of success.
McKennie could now be the latest American at Goodison Park and would join at arguably the most important time given the recent struggles endured by Everton.
Despite a vast summer overhaul in midfield which saw Onana, Idrissa Gueye and James Garner all signing for the Toffees, there still seems to be something missing in the engine room.
They lack a touch of creativity, and despite the six goal contributions of Alex Iwobi, they still need someone who can sit slightly deeper and dictate the play but with the intelligence to attack when necessary.
The 24-year-old McKennie has proven during this World Cup that he can excel when sat beside a tough-tackling midfielder, as Tyler Adams offered him the protection that the Onana likely would at Everton. The latter two players rank in the top 7% and 9% for tackles respectively among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, the “underrated” McKennie – as dubbed by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig – ranks in the top 7% for progressive passes received and the top 10% for non-penalty goals.
With 1.3 key passes per game alongside a 77% pass accuracy in Qatar (via Sofascore), it is clear that the 24-year-old has the maturity and ability to control a game. Also, standing at 6 foot 1, he remains the “monster in the air” that CBS reporter Wes Rucker labelled him.
Perhaps his prospective addition could be the creative spark that Everton need in order to steer them away from their precarious league position.
