Why Everton must plot a summer swoop for Marseille’s Morgan Sanson

According to the Express, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is keen to sign Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson during the summer transfer window.

Morgan Sanson, 25, has been a regular fixture at Marseille since joining from Montpellier in January 2017, playing close to 140 appearances. The central midfielder enjoyed the best season of his career till date in 2017/18 when he scored 12 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions. The Frenchman has had a solid 2019/20 season as well, racking up four goals and three assists in 25 Ligue 1 games.

The report adds Ancelotti wants to take advantage of an agreement between Marseille and Sanson – a new deal the 25-year-old signed in December 2018 that allows him to leave this summer.

Everton have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes under Ancelotti, who permanently replaced Marco Silva back in December 2019.

Ancelotti did not make a single signing in the January transfer window, but come summer, the Italian tactician should spend heavily to shape his squad for the 2020/21 campaign. One area the Everton boss should prioritise reinforcing is the midfield following the shortage of options this term.

Summer signing Jean-Philippe Gbamin has spent more than half the season on the sidelines. Andre Gomes’ horrific ankle injury only worsened the case but he has surprisingly returned earlier than expected. In Gomes’ absence, Ancelotti has had to do with the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Fabian Delph and Tom Davies.

Everton haven’t found the right combination in the middle of the park this season due to a lack of consistency, and injuries to key players. Hence, an interest in Morgan Sanson is logical.

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• Why Everton must make a move for Jonathan David in January

Sanson is a versatile player who can operate in various positions across the middle of the park. The Frenchman has notched up a decent return of four goals and three assists in Ligue 1 and with a lot of games still left to be played this season, there are chances of the numbers getting better.

Verdict

The 25-year-old has solid top-flight experience under his belt. Sanson is a quality central midfield player who’ll add some much-needed depth to Everton’s midfield ranks. Going by his quality and experience at the highest level, signing the Frenchman would boost the Toffees’ midfield unit considerably.