Can £18 million Aston Villa man put up for sale by Steven Gerrard help Everton solve depth issues?

Aston Villa’s rejig has begun under new manager Steven Gerrard. The former Rangers boss has begun his squad audit and has come to a conclusion that the squad is unbalanced and wants to offload some attacking players. Bertrand Traore will now be allowed to leave in the winter transfer window. Could this potentially benefit Everton?

Everton have had terrible injury luck with key players missing big chunk of the season so far. Everton’s attack is filled with staggering quality of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the fiery flair of Richarlison. On the wings, Demarai Gray has added much needed pace and directness. Andros Townsend has improved the service to Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

Anthony Gordon is shining when handed the opportunity and making it extremely difficult for Rafa Benitez to leave him out of the lineup. Alex Iwobi’s displays have been underwhelming. The Nigerian has not lived up to the £35 million price tag and has hardly made strides in his game.

Gray has picked up an injury and even though at this point it is unclear how long will the former Leicester City man be sidelined. Everton are slightly short in depth in the wing department as well which puts a lot of pressure on the current wingers.

Should Everton pursue Bertrand Traore?

Aston Villa sacked Dean Smith after he failed to deliver the desired results and hired Gerrard who had a fantastic stint as a Rangers manager. Upon arrival, the 41 year old has evaluated the squad and reached the conclusion that there are too many wide players.

According to TEAMtalk, Gerrard has informed Traore that he can find a new club in January either permanently or move out on loan. The Burkina Faso international made the switch to Aston Villa in 2020 after three fruitful years with Olympique Lyon. The former Chelsea winger arrived with a modest price tag of £17 million.

The 26 year old had a satisfactory debut season in the Villa shirt, scoring eight times and providing seven assists. However, the influx of players like Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia has already crowded the wing department who already housed players Anwar El Ghazi, Ollie Watkins, Trezeguet and Traore.

The former Lyon man has just played 117 minutes of football this season and has slipped down the pecking order. Everton could think of bringing him on temporary basis to boost the depth on the flanks.

Rafa Benitez was trying to sign a third winger after acquiring Gray and Townsend and even came close to signing FC Porto’s Luis Diaz but a deal couldn’t go through. Bailey was also a target but he instead joined Villa. The Toffees were seemingly interested in Dwight McNeil but Burnley didn’t budge from their valuations.

Traore could offer a smart alternative if Everton can manage to get him on loan. If the deal works out and the 26 year old plays well, a permanent deal could be pursued and if he fails to perform, Traore can return to Villa. A loan deal holds minimal risk and has the potential to offer handsome rewards.

Is Bertrand Traore a suitable option for the Toffees?