Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness reported over the weekend that Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is keen to add a midfielder to his squad before the January transfer window deadline, and that his ‘dream’ signing would be Napoli’s Allan.
However, the report added that he would be an ‘impossible dream’ for the Toffees boss and that the club are instead trying to find a ‘photocopy of the Brazilian’.
Firstly, while he is clearly a good player the fact he is also 29 years of age suggests it is a sensible decision for the Toffees to try and find a similar and younger version of him in terms of their long-term ambitions.
But the other thing to notice is how the South American is more similar in style to Idrissa Gueye, who of course left Goodison Park for Paris Saint-Germain during the previous summer window, than any of the other central midfielders Ancelotti currently has at his disposal.
Fabian Delph is probably the most similar in terms of height and style of play, but the 5 foot 9 Allan is someone who likes to win the ball back and then either pass it on or take it forwards himself.
As per WhoScored, the 29-year-old has averaged 3.1 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game in Serie A this term, while also averaging 0.9 key passes and 1.2 dribbles.
Meanwhile, in his final season on Merseyside Gueye was hugely impressive, winning an average of 4.3 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per match for Everton in the Premier League, while also averaging 0.5 key passes and 0.7 dribbles.
While those two numbers are down on Allan’s record, you can see that the two more defensive stats are considerably higher than the Brazilian’s.
Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?
To be fair to Gueye, his key passes and dribbles are up to 1.1 and 1.2 respectively for PSG in Ligue 1 in 2019/20 so far, per WhoScored, to suggest he can help out in that department when playing for the best team in the division.
To put all of the aforementioned stats into context, the Toffees players with the best average tackles per game ratio this season, having made 10 or more Premier League appearances, are Morgan Schneiderlin and Delph, who have 1.7 apiece, as per WhoScored.
So Ancelotti’s interest in the £45m-rated Allan suggests he wants a smaller, tenacious player who can win the ball back and then distribute it wisely – so pretty much Gueye 2.0 but perhaps even someone who can make more of an impact in the final third, too.
Finding that player will be no easy task though.
Over to you, Marcel Brands.
In other Everton news, many Toffees fans have been reacting on Twitter to a fresh £30m transfer link…
