Everton are plotting a bid for Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury as Frank Lampard aims to boost his squad.
What’s the news?
That’s according to the Mirror, which states that Everton are keen on bringing Choudhury to Goodison Park during the summer transfer window.
The Toffees face a battle with Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest for the player however and with a year left on his contract, they may be able to land themselves a bargain.
He’s better than Gomes
It's no secret that Everton needs to massively overhaul their playing squad and get rid of the deadwood, especially as Lampard enters his first summer transfer window.
With the signing of James Tarkowski all but confirmed, it's been a solid start, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
Having conceded 66 goals in the Premier League last season, the fifth-worst total in the division, the main area for the 44-year-old to prioritise is the defence. Tarkowski will be a crucial element at the heart of defence but making a move for Choudhury could be another shrewd signing.
He earns £61k-per-week at Leicester now and will surely be looking to earn more at Everton. Brendan Rodgers described him as “sensational” and he could well be a better option than Andre Gomes.
Choudhury made 83% of his completed passes last season compared to 77% for Gomes, while also taking more touches on average during a game than the Everton player (36.2 to 29.4).
Defensively, the Leicester midfielder won two interceptions per match (0.1 for Gomes), made 1.5 tackles (Gomes 1.1), and was only dribbled past 0.3 times per game (1.7 times for Gomes).
These stats clearly show who would be the better option for Lampard going forward and from an economic point of view, it makes sense. Gomes earns a staggering £120k-per-week and moving him on can free up some money for a player who will provide more of an input.