Everton have recently been linked with one much-maligned player from a rival Premier League club… 

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the arrival of Casemiro could spell the end of Scott McTominay’s career at Manchester United.

Newcastle United are long-term admirers of the Scotland international, although Everton, Southampton and Leicester City are also keen on a potential move for the 25-year-old.

With a move for Idrissa Gueye seemingly faltering, this could be Frank Lampard’s contingency plan. However, it may be an ill-advised one…

He is worse than what Everton have

So far in the summer transfer window, Everton have invested in proven Premier League know-how in Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, along with Champions League-performing promise in Amadou Onana.

Although McTominay has often featured in both of those competitions, signing him would see the Toffees fall back into their pattern of taking on players who are considered disposable by Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney was well past his peak when he returned to Goodison Park in 2017, while Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Cleverley and Darren Gibson were all deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford before Everton signed them from the Red Devils, and none of those three truly convinced in a blue shirt.

McTominay is noted in some quarters as a player with superb defensive output, although the figure show that he sits in the 57th percentile for tackles and the 70th percentile for interceptions per 90 among positional peers in Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months.

Compare that with new addition Onana, who sits in the top 4% for tackles per game. Allan is in the top 9% for tackles and the top 2% for pressures, while Abdoulaye Doucoure sits in the 74th percentile for tackles, having often played in a defensive role at Everton despite usually adopting a more offensive role during his time at Watford beforehand.

Even in his favoured defensive midfield role, McTominay does not compare favourably to Everton's current options. Dubbed “awful” in the past by journalist Hans Mensah Andoh, the £60k-per-week flop has also had the vocal criticism of Roy Keane ringing in his ears recently.

He featured 30 times last season for the Red Devils, with Frank McAvennie claiming that the 25-year-old is “a good player but not for Man United”.

However, not good enough for United shouldn't automatically mean that he is good enough for Everton. Lampard must avoid this move at all costs, as McTominay would likely not improve his team in any discernible fashion.

It would mark a regression in their otherwise positive recruitment and mark a return to the flawed strategy of signing Old Trafford cast-offs.