Everton could eye ‘in demand’ 27 year old as Andre Gomes’ midfield partner

Everton could think of signing Geoffrey Kondogbia from Valencia after missing out on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg story has already become a transfer saga. Sadly, for Everton, they are likely to miss out on the Southampton wantaway star as his preference lies in Tottenham Hotspur. Marcel Brands must quickly move on and get behind other targets if the Toffees want to undergo the ‘evolution’ Carlo Ancelotti talked about. While the likes of Allan, Adrien Rabiot are on the wishlist, Everton is missing out on a former target in the name of Geoffrey Kondogbia of Valencia.

Everton were previously linked to the Frenchman but the desire to bring him to Goodison Park has certainly died in the last few weeks. The club hierarchy must rekindle the lost interest and seriously consider signing Geoffrey Kondogbia from Valencia. Valencia are bracing themselves for a major squad teardown and are likely to bid adieu to many of the first team stars.

According to Cadena COPE, Valencia are preparing to sell as many as seven first team players including the likes of Dani Parejo, Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo Moreno. Geoffrey Kondogbia is also on the list and his availability has alerted many ears in the Premier League.

The French-born midfielder has been ‘in demand’ among Premier League teams Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, as per Footmercato. The player dreams of playing in the Premier League after a rather substandard three years in Spain.

The form of Geoffrey Kondogbia picked up pace this season which has seen his demand surge. With Spurs likely to get their hands on Hojbjerg, it is safe to predict that the North Londoners won’t be in the mix. According to the London Evening Standard, the 27 year old is available for a fee in the region of £25 million.

The player who holds dual citizenship of France and the Central African Republic has shown his skills in France with AS Monaco, in Italy with Inter Milan, in Spain with Los Che and now hopes to announce himself on the grandest stage of the Premier League.

During his initial years, Kondogbia drew comparisons with Patrick Vieira. The 27 year old boasts a body frame of over 6 feet and uses upper body strength to bully the opponents. His prime characteristic is to patrol the area in front of defence, displaying combative skills.

Similar to players like Arturo Vidal, Kondigbia often doesn’t hold back and throws himself into meaty challenges to recover the ball. He has decent ball distribution and can often survive opposition press with a combination of his physicality and adept ball distribution.

Geoffrey Kondogbia and Andre Gomes could be the perfect midfield duo that Everton are craving for. Gomes rides on his expertise in the final third, threading smooth passes while Kondogbia is a top quality guardsman of the defence. His aggressive style and burly structure helps him to win aerial battles as well.

Lucas Digne is good friends with the Los Che midfielder and the Blues full back can play agent and persuade Kondogbia to join the Toffees in the summer. Geoffrey Kondogbia is a textbook transitional midfielder Everton are looking for. Brands shouldn’t waste time and begin the chase.

Is Geoffrey Kondogbia a solid candidate?