Everton have their full-backs now team needs a midfielder

With Nathan Patterson’s signing now confirmed, Everton have added two young full-backs in the space of just a few days. Next, attention in this transfer window should turn to midfield.

Trying to be positive after so much doom and gloom recently, at least Everton are getting on with things and sorting out deals quickly in this transfer window, unlike so often in the past.

Certainly, they are doing so much more speedily than was the case over the past few transfer windows. This begs the question why is that?

Perhaps the decision to remove Marcel Brands wasn’t just a bit of window dressing, as some of us suspected at the time.

I’m not saying the Dutchman was the reason why it used to seem to take so long to get transfers over the line, but it is at the very least coincidental that as soon as he goes things seem to speed up considerably. If, as it seems the whole process has been streamlined, then that is something at least.

Vitaly Mykolenko is apparently a player that the Blues have been watching for a while so presumably he was on Brands’ wish list too. Meanwhile, Patterson was obviously a target of Rafa Benitez last summer and the Toffees’ tried in vain to sign him then.

Well anyway, whatever the truth of this, now that Everton have hopefully secured the future at full-back the club can turn it’s attention to another area of the team that needs major improvement: midfield.

The lack of steel and options in the centre of the park has been a huge problem all season with Sunday’s awful loss at home to Brighton a perfect example.

Benitez’s tactics certainly didn’t help of course. Once again he persisted with a central two leaving Everton lacking in numbers in the engine room and with Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure each having a very poor game, it was a recipe for disaster.

A strong midfield of course provides the necessary platform for increased defensive solidity and also gives you the opportunity to play a more flexible, modern, pressing style of football.

With two attack-minded young full-backs now brought in, the neccesity of sorting out the midfield becomes even more important to make the most of their qualities.

There have been plenty of rumours about this midfield player and that with the main favourites according to the media being Aaron Ramsey and Philippe Coutinho, both of whom have been linked with the Blues’ on numerous occasions recently.

These players have their strengths and qualities but also significant downsides, in particular their age at around 30, big wage demands and injury histories. One thing this club don’t want to do is sign another expensive injury-prone player, they have enough of those already.

Ideally, the Toffees’ need a younger player with the box-to-box qualities necessary to contribute in defence and attack.

What Everton probably need is another Idrissa Gueye, a player they have never managed to replace ever since he left for PSG in 2019.

He was a dynamo in the centre of the park, tirelessly breaking up attacks, tackling and intercepting the ball and passing it accurately.

That’s just what the Blues’ need much more of now. And, with Allan past his best and the wrong side of 30, and Jean-Philippe Gbamin unlikely to ever be the player hoped for, it’s a pressing problem especially when injuries hit and particularly if Doucoure is hurt.

Unfortunately, there aren’t that many of those players at the rate age (in their early twenties) with top level experience who also haven’t been spotted and/or snapped up by a more successful club.

One possibility mentioned is Dennis Zakaria who might fit the bill but given how much the Blues’ have already spent, it seems unlikly they will be able to spend much on another permanent signing.

There is an alternative and that’s to give one young player they have in the squad a chance to see if he could offer some of those qualities.

That’s Tyler Onyango who has been in the first-team squad recently and has had a few minutes here and there but hasn’t yet started a Premier League game.

While Onyango has potential, it’s probably too early to be placing this sort of expectation on him so the Toffees’ need to find that all-round midfield dynamo who can give the team the additional defensive cover and attacking support it needs.