According to Le10 Sport, Everton and Watford are interested in signing Celta Vigo’s Slovakian international midfielder Stanislav Lobotka in the January transfer window.
Both the Premier League clubs are likely to face stiff competition from bonafide European giants Napoli and PSG. (Le10)
The same report adds that Celta Vigo are prepared to listen to offers in the region of £26 million, which is a bargain given that his release clause stands at £45 million.
Lobotka started his professional career back in Slovakia with Trencin before making a move to Danish club Nordsjaelland in 2015. As a result of his consistently impressive displays in the Danish top flight, he was signed by Celta Vigo in 2017. He has made a total of 56 appearances across all competitions for the La Liga side.
Standing at 5ft. 7 inches with a short and stocky frame, Lobotka is primarily a defensive midfielder by trade. Known for his combativeness and tough-tackling nature, the Slovakian is adept at shielding the rearguard and adding steel to the midfield with his stamina, passing and work rate. A technically gifted midfielder with nimble feet, the 24-year-old is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and shows good composure in possession.
He is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in the league with his ability to dictate the tempo of the game in the middle of the park. Blessed with good vision and intelligence, he often finds the right pass to set the tone of the attacking moves. Furthermore, the Slovakian has the ability to cut out attacks and win back possession with his tenacity and tireless running.
To put things into perspective, Everton would need new recruits to get their faltering Premier League campaign back on track and the Toffees can consider him as an upgrade on Idrissa Gana Gueye. The Senegalese ace has done pretty well so far but his lack of technical abilities and moments of sloppiness have caused him to lose possession in dangerous areas, allowing the opposition an opportunity to capitalise.
While Andre Gomes has been one of the pivots of Marco Silva’s 4-2-3-1 system, Morgan Schneiderlin has largely underwhelmed with his performances and has slipped down the pecking order at Goodison Park. Irrespective of what the future holds for the Barcelona loanee Gomes, the Toffees should add a technically gifted central midfielder to complement Silva’s style.
They currently sit 11th in the standings and they will need to improve on their results if they are to secure a Europa League spot next season. And Lobotka can certainly be a massive boost in their pursuit of European football.
That said, they should not hesitate to splash the cash on him, with just more than a week to go for the transfer deadline.