Everton carry out enquiries for midfielder with €45 million release clause
The Everton midfield was infused with fresh faces in the form of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure. The duo has taken the responsibility of operating from the heart of the midfield and put in outstanding performances. However, the midfield does need some reinforcements and Everton are looking at Iddrisu Baba of RCD Mallorca.
Rafa Benitez and Everton got off to a flying start in the Premier League but the first wave of injuries hit and the team came crumbling down. After a period of eight games without a win, the Toffees secured three points against Arsenal. The injury storm is steadily passing as Dominic Calvert-Lewin is closer to a return meanwhile Doucoure has already returned.
Yerry Mina suffered another injury after just 31 minutes into his return. The midfield which was once the most depleted as Doucoure, Andre Gomes and Tom Davies remained sidelined now have enough depth as everyone is fit except Davies.
Rafa Benitez has preferred a midfield of Doucoure and Allan but has made tweaks during the game and instead gone for a midfield three which has actually yielded fruitful results. The Toffees remain linked to a host of midfielders as there could be some movement in the midfield department over the next two transfer windows.
Everton make an enquiry for Iddrisu Baba
According to Football Ghana, Everton have made additional enquiries for RCD Mallorca midfielder Baba. The 25 year old combative midfielder has impressed for the mid table La Liga side. The Toffees have intensified their pursuit and have made enquiries over his availability in the next transfer window.
The Royal Blues face competition from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid who are also looking for a midfielder. The Ghana international is set to miss a few games at the start of next year as he joins the Ghana national team for the Africa Cup of Nations. It is unclear where he’ll play once he returns as his future remains uncertain at Mallorca.
As per Ghana Soccernet, if Everton wants to secure the signature of 25 year old midfielder, they will have to meet his release clause which stands at £38.4 million. Everton boss Benitez has been an admirer of the Ghanaian for a long time with the report starting that the former Valencia coach tried to sign him at Real Madrid.
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Baba is said to be a cruise controller on the ball which helps him get out of tight pockets of space. On the defensive front, he is a robust tackler and ball winner, averaging 4.10 tackles per 90 minutes and featuring in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe. In the last two seasons, Baba has played in a two-man midfield in 4-4-2, in a three-man midfield and also as a double pivot in 4-2-3-1 and he has been comfortable and efficient in most of the setups.
That being said, Everton are unlikely to trigger his £39 million release clause given the current situation. The Toffees do require new faces in the engine room but it is important not to repeat the same mistakes of blatant spending that have resulted in such imbalance and instability.
Fabian Delph is likely to leave the club as his contract expires in the summer and there have been no indications of a renewal. Benitez doesn’t trust Jean-Philippe Gbamin in entirety and he could also be offloaded as he has failed to make a mark after two injury ridden years.
Baba could be a good bet but his asking price is an eye watching sum that could pose huge questions if things go wrong.
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Is Iddrisu Baba a viable option for the Toffees?