Everton must move to sign ‘next N’Golo Kante’ available at £13.5 million

Everton should try signing Baptiste Santamaria from Angers who is often dubbed as the next N’Golo Kante.

N’Golo Kante is probably one of the best central defensive midfielders in the world. Everton and other Premier League clubs envy Chelsea for housing a player of his stature. If the Toffees can’t get Kante they can at least aim for the next best that is a player similar to N’Golo Kante. Anger SCO midfielder Baptiste Santamaria is available for £13.5 million and can solve the midfield issues almost instantly.

Villarreal signed Francis Coquelin from Valencia but it appears the former Arsenal man was the second choice of Unai Emery as he saw a €10 million bid rejected from Angers for Baptiste Santamaria. The Ligue 1 club is holding out onto their valuation of €15 million, as per France Football.

At €15 million, Everton are never going to get a player of similar quality to Baptiste Santamaria. Back in April, the Express reported that Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur were credited with an interest for the Frenchman but since then none of these teams have taken steps to initiate a transfer. Spurs can well be considered out of this race after announcing the arrival of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Now when I speak about his comparisons to N’Golo Kante, bear in mind Santamaria is no Kante clone. Their physical differences make comparisons like apples and oranges. N’Golo Kante is a diminutive figure whereas Baptiste is tall and powerful in the air. However, their playing styles show an alarming contrast.

The Angers midfielder has insane stamina and doesn’t allow his intensity to drop during the entire game. It’s almost like he is keeping one of his lungs in reserve and only activates it during the final stages of the game. The 25 year old has largely remained fit and injury free throughout his career allowing him an extended run throughout the season.

I press again on him being a stamina monster. The 25 year old has run the most distance in Ligue 1 in 28 games. But he is just not a dynamic workhorse, he is a passing genius too, threading some eye-catching passes to his teammates.

Filling a void left by Idrrisa Gueye has been the most challenging tasks for the Toffees. Baptiste Santamaria can fill the void. His presence and work rate in the middle of the park can unleash someone like Andre Gomes further up the pitch. Baptiste Santamaria is the right key to the problems in midfield and it is somewhat shocking that no team has taken substantial efforts to sign a gem like him.

Signing the Frenchman should be on the agenda for Marcel Brands, especially, after knowing he’s just available for €15 million. If the Royal Blues do manage to sign him, the €15 million paid may appear to be a wise investment in some years’ time.

Is Baptiste Santamaria worth considering for the Toffees?