A new report has linked Ainsley Maitland-Niles, a versatile midfielder who used to play for Arsenal, to the Toffees. Deployed as a fullback for Olympique Lyonnais, he racked up eight goal contributions in all competitions last year. Maitland-Niles has bounced around several clubs in his career and has spent the past two years with the financially troubled French club.
Everton fans have received a plethora of transfer news recently, including the signing of Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich. If this AMN signing goes through, then it would become the fourth new player of the offseason. However, fans are still in agreement that more players are needed to fill up the roster before the Premier League season begins.
The England international would instantly slot in as the starting right back for Everton over Nathan Patterson and Seamus Coleman, and he might also be able to bench either Tim Iroegbunam or James Garner in the midfield; his signing would probably spell the end of Everton's extensive fullback search.
Maitland-Nile's fbref.com stats over the past 365 days, compared to other fullbacks, certainly stand out. He averages 3.09 Tackles per 90 (93rd percentile), 2.29 Shot-Creating actions per 90 (66th percentile), and 0.27 npxG + xAG (90th percentile).
According to fbref.com, he's a similar player to Jules Kounde and Nuno Mendes, two of the best full backs in the world. I know that the context surrounding Maitland-Niles is a bit different, but the stats don't lie. Fans should be excited if he becomes a Toffee this season, and considering he's 27, he still has a few years left in his prime to contribute.