Everton are interested in signing Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan.
Everton are exploring their options in the midfield and despite signing the likes of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure in the summer, Carlo Ancelotti remains in the mood to bring more reinforcements to the central midfield.
This is partly justified as the support members to Allan and Doucoure have not been entirely convincing. Andre Gomes continues to go through a rough patch of form whereas Tom Davies’ volatile performances do not allow Ancelotti to put supreme trust in the young 22 year old.
Fabian Delph being completely fit is a rare sight and has spent a lot of time on the treatment table. Jean Philippe-Gbamin is finally close to a return but it would be criminally selfish to expect him to straight away display his A-game especially after being out of action for almost one and a half year.
This has given rise to a number of transfer links with the Toffees. Sami Khedira continuously finds himself getting associated with a move to Goodison. However, he’s not the only transfer target for the Toffees.
More from Prince Rupert's Tower
- Everton 0 Arsenal 1: Blues fall to third home defeat
- Further chaos in Everton takeover as other lenders not keen on 777 Partners
- Everton need repeat of Arsenal win to kick-start their season on Sunday
- More madness at Everton as Moshiri now agrees to sell club to 777 Partners
- Everton takeover talk cools after UK govt doubts and further questions
According to Journalist Ekrem Konur, Everton, Crystal Palace, Fulham and West Brom are keen on signing Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan. The Turk has impressive numbers this season, showing his ability as an all-round central midfielder. The midfielder averages 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and also has a steady passing range.
Apart from the four English clubs, Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen also closely tracks the midfielder and his situation. Konur also stated that Fenerbahce will be expecting a bid of around €20 million to part ways with the 25 year old.
Is Ozan Tufan a better option than Sami Khedira for Everton?
Tufan’s biggest strength is his ability to mould himself in any midfield role and even at times play as a right back. He can be your defensive midfielder, he can be your box-to-box guy, he could be a part of a double pivot system. The Turk is not the person you’d bet on in a sprint race but his lack of acceleration is well covered by his other attributes.
Despite being 5 feet 8 inches, he has considerable physical skills and can absorb the physical pressure well. However, he is still untested in a league such as the English Top Flight. On the other hand, we know Khedira has performed and played for top European heavyweights. Tufan’s unknown quantities make him a risky bet.
Fenerbahce will demand €20 million for the 25 year old which is a big gamble considering Tufan doesn’t have much experience of playing in any of Europe’s Top leagues. Even though Everton would like to sign a central midfielder, failing to sign Tufan, won’t be a big dent on their hopes as other targets are still available.