Rabiot for Kean swap makes sense for Everton

One story making the rounds today claims that Everton might consider a swap deal with PSG in which Adrien Rabiot would move to Goodison Park with Moise Kean staying at the French club when his current loan deal ends this summer.

Although he’s certianly talented, I still have some reservations about whether Rabiot would be exactly the right player for Everton and indeed he might not want to move to club anyway, especially if the Blues can’t offer Champions League football.

However, on balance if the Toffees were going to get the player who is a very good one at his best and also get shot of someone in Kean who it seems doesn’t want to play for the Blues, then it might well make sense to do such a deal. Both players are also valued at around £30 million so that would cancel each other out.

Everton need more depth, quality and options in midfield, although their main priority in my view should be sorting out the right hand side of the team. That means an attacker with pace and goal scoring ability who can play there and also another young right-back who can offer both defensive and offensive qualities.

But the injuries to Allan and now Abdoulaye Doucoure, have also underlined the relative lack of alternative options available in centre-midfield.

Tom Davies has been good in that holding midfield role in Allan’s absence but he too has been hurt recently. The only other option left on paper is Jean-Philippe Gbamin and we’ve not seen him in over eighteen months and there’s still no certainty about whether he will ever come back.

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All of these players though are essentially defensive in nature and while they can offer some attacking support, it would probably make sense to add a player who can contribute a bit more in that respect and also improve the Toffees ability to keep the ball.

The defeat at Chelsea underlined that while the Blues can play defensively and win, it won’t always work when they are facing sides that have the ability to unlock such a defence. They ideally need to be able to compete better in midfield to get hold of and keep the ball more in matches like this.

Carlo Ancelotti has said that he is considering possible midfield options ready for this summer’s transfer market and Rabiot is of course one of the many players who has been repeatedly linked with a move to Everton.

Ancelotti obviously knows him well from his own PSG days and so might well be open to bringing him to Merseyside this summer.

As for Kean, he has certainly enjoyed his spell in Paris and given how traumatic his time at Goodison Park has been, I doubt he will want to come back in a few months time.

In addition, he has previously said that he doesn’t expect the club to spend big this year. So a swap deal, player for player, if PSG are interested would mean the Toffees could then focus their more limited financial resources on strengthening that right hand side.