Everton struggled in pre-season with one win, aiming to avoid relegation & move up the league table.
AC Milan’s Chukwueze may join Everton for a profitable deal at £38-42m, bringing them a dynamic winger.
Chukwueze’s style similar to Nico Williams, could form a deadly partnership with Calvert-Lewin at Everton.
Everton have had a tough time of things in pre-season so far. The Toffees have won just one game, less than ideal preparation for Sean Dyche’s side as they look to survive relegation for another season and propel themselves up the Premier League table.
The Toffees first game of pre-season saw them draw 3-3 away to Irish club Sligo Rovers. Dyche’s side were rescued by a late brace from exciting young striker Youssef Chermiti after previously being 3-1 down. They also suffered a 2-1 loss at the hands of League 2 side Salford City, despite a James Garner goal.
That was followed by a calamitous 3-0 defeat to Coventry City away from home, although Saturday’s trip to Deepdale to face Preston North End did prove fruitful, as the visitors ran out 3-0 winners. Next up is an exciting clash at Goodison Park as they face Italian giants AS Roma.
After an active summer in the transfer market, Everton will no doubt be desperate to string some strong performances together in the early weeks of the season to help climb the league table early on. They have recently been linked with one attacker who could give them a cutting edge this season.
Everton target Serie A winger
The player in question here is AC Milan and Nigerian international winger Samuel Chukwueze. The 25-year-old struggled in his first season for the Rossoneri, and could now be sold this summer with the Italian giants looking to make a profit on the player.
As reported in Spain earlier this week Everton are the main side who are thought to be interested in bringing Chukwueze to the club and are believed to be ‘leading the race to sign him’ this summer.
The report suggests that there are other English top-flight teams interested in acquiring the services of the Nigerian international, who has 38 caps for the Super Eagles. However, Everton are the club best placed to sign at the current stage.
In terms of a price, the report suggests that Milan would like to make this a profitable deal. Thus, they would like more than the £17m plus add-ons they paid for him just last summer. It is stated that Milan would accept an offer between £38m and £42m in order to commission a sale this summer.
Why Chukwueze would be a good signing
There is no denying that the 2023/24 campaign was a tough one for Chukwueze. In his debut season in Milan, the 25-year-old featured 24 times in Serie A, scoring just once and registering only three assists. However, he did play at AFCON with Nigeria and suffered a hamstring issue at the end of the campaign.
Although he struggled at times last season only showing flashes of his brilliance, football scout Antonio Mango still believes he is a “superstar”, and perhaps a move to Everton can help him unlock his full potential. His profile is that of a rapid, direct two-way winger who has quick feet and loves to take on a defender.
He certainly has shades of Nico Williams, one of the best up-and-coming talents in European football at the minute. Should Everton sign Chukwueze this summer, they could bring in a player certainly reminiscent of the Atheltic Club winger – as noted by FBref’s ‘similar players’ model.
In fact, their similarities are also reflected in their FBref stats. Firstly, their ball carrying stats are very similar. Chukwueze averages 4.6 progressive carries per 90 minutes, although Williams slightly edges him out with 5.7. You can tell from this just how front-footed they are on the ball, looking to get at a defender and take them on.
One area Chukwueze excels over Williams is his creative passing. The Nigerian averages 4.51 progressive passes and 1.95 passes into the final third, whereas the Euro 2024 winner comes in slightly off his pace. Instead, the 22-year-old averages just 2.63 progressive passes and 1.04 passes into the final third.
The similarities are clear between the two, and should Everton bring Chukwueze into the club this summer, he would add an excellent dynamic to a squad currently lacking that sort of profile in their squad.
He could also form a dangerous partnership with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Toffees marksman had a tough campaign last season and scored just seven times in 32 Premier League appearances.
However, when in his best form, can prove to be a deadly Premier League striker. Given Chukwueze’s progressive nature, that could be a duo that really hits the ground running and could help the Englishman find the back of the net more often next season.
Whilst a deal could cost a pretty penny, he is not earning too much a week, with a wage of £84k per week as per Capology, meaning it would not be too expensive in that sense. This could be a signing that helps get Everton up the table and pushing for higher honours again, and one they might do well not to miss out on.
