Frank Lampard can land a big upgrade on Everton midfielder Allan by swooping for Austrian player Florian Grillitsch.
What’s the word?
Everton have been linked with Grillitsch since April, with the Hoffenheim midfielder leaving the German side on the expiration of his contract at the end of this month.
The interest looked like it had come to nothing following a verbal agreement between the player and Serie A side Fiorentina, however, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that there still hasn’t been an agreement on personal terms, giving the Toffees the green light to swoop in.
Lampard can get a big Allan upgrade
A move for the Austrian would be very shrewd and it appears to be very low risk. He earns £35k-per-week at Hoffenheim and whilst he will more than likely demand more at Everton, it won't break the bank, plus signing him on a free is an added bonus.
Hoffenheim director of football Alexander Rosen has described him as “exceptionally gifted” and Everton needs a player like him to add some bite and stability into their midfield ahead of a crucial season next year.
He will be a major upgrade on Allan, who played 28 matches in the Premier League last season and only registered two assists. The Brazilian was ranked a lowly 18th in the Everton squad with a WhoScored rating of 6.50, completing only 80% of his passes.
Compare this to Grillitsch, who was ranked fourth in the Hoffenheim squad with a rating of 6.87 and that’s having played ten matches fewer than Allan.
The Austrian showcased his incredible passing ability with an 89.4% pass success rate, the best in the squad who have played over five matches.
Allan only won 0.4 aerials per match last season compared to the 1.3 for Grillitsch. These stats clearly show the influence that the Austrian can have on his team, both on the deck and in the air; two areas where Everton are crying out for in the centre of the park.
Lampard will need to make his move quickly, however, or the opportunity could be gone.