Sean Dyche has brought a number of players to Everton this summer in an attempt to bolster his team, but he still hasn’t found a replacement for Amadou Onana, who was sold to Aston Villa for a fee of £50 million.
Lewis Dobbin left the Villans in exchange for Tim Iroegbunam, who signed a £9 million contract to join the Goodison Park team last month. However, the 21-year-old made just one Premier League start under Unai Emery’s watch.
The engine room needs more, and fortunately, efforts are being made to sign a thrilling new player to round out the roster.
News about Everton transfers
Everton has been in contact with Habib Diarra’s representation, according to a report from Caught Offside earlier this week. The 20-year-old midfielder had a fantastic season with Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
The Ligue 1 team values him at approximately €35 million (£29 million). It is unclear if the Merseysiders can afford the transfer fee, but Onana’s exit may make the dream come true.
What Everton would gain from Habib Diarra
Diarra has been characterized as a player with “enormous skills in progression” by one Italian football writer, who had noticed Diarra’s connection to Napoli. In fact, Diarra has the kind of athletic skill set that Dyche’s Blues might really benefit from.
Diarra, who is still in the early stages of his bright future, has been in the thick of things for Strasbourg for the past two seasons and made 28 starts in Ligue 1 last season, always making an impression.
He is a rising ball-carrying talent; according to FBref, he is in the top 11% of center midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, and among the top 17% for progressive carries over the previous season.
Additionally, he completed 61% of the dribbles mentioned above last season, demonstrating a keen, accurate skill that might be used to decisively breach Premier League defenses.
Diarra is more adaptable than Onana, but he lacks the same level of tough-tackling skill that has made the Belgian sensation known as a “monster duel-winner,” according to analyst Raj Chohan. Nevertheless, his well-rounded arsenal could brilliantly support Idrissa Gueye’s defensive abilities at the base of the midfield.
