Everton move into the final months of the transfer window needing to find more bodies to improve their ranks.
Rafa Benitez’s primary goal will be to get the Toffees back into European football but that won’t happen with further signings.
What’s the word?
One area Everton have looked to improve this summer is in the middle of the park.
They’ve been linked with a number of midfielders from Yves Bissouma to Andre-Frank Zambo-Anguissa.
Another man who could arrive at Goodison Park is Sheffield United’s Sander Berge.
Everton have been interested in the Norwegian for a good few months now as they hope to take advantage of the Blades’ relegation. However, they may have to pay in the region of £35m.
Speaking to Football Transfer Tavern this week, Michael Ball seemed to think a deal could happen.
He said: “It could be on the back-burner. Everton will want to see how Jean-Philippe Gbamin gets on with his fitness levels and it also depends on the futures of Allan and Andre Gomes, along with Tom Davies possibly.
“I think Everton have probably reached out to all the targets they would like to bring in and found out the financial packages from Sheffield United and the player.”
Gomes upgrade
Andre Gomes is one of a number of Everton stars linked with the exit door in recent weeks.
The Portuguese dynamo was disappointing towards the back end of the campaign, appearing incredibly weak and feeble in defensive duels. He won just six tackles in his final nine matches of the Premier League season for instance.
Although Berge won 0.2 fewer tackles per game than Gomes over the entire season at 1.1, his last nine matches showed more promising signs.
The Norway international has only played twice in 2021 but in those previously mentioned outings, he won nine challenges successfully.
Described as “unique” and “complete” by Chris Wilder, Berge would also bring an element of composure that was lacking to Gomes in the final stages of the 2020/21 season.
The Everton midfielder completed 85.3% of his passes while the Toffees target registered a success rate of 85.6%. His Nations League tally was even better at 88.5%.
What also sets Berge apart is his ability to drive forward and carry the ball. For his country, he registered a whopping 3.3 dribbles per game in the Nations League but Gomes managed just 1.1 per match in the Premier League.
On that evidence, it’s clear to see why he’d be a huge upgrade. Marcel Brands must do his best to conclude a deal in the final weeks of the market.