Denis Bouanga has been linked with a move to Everton (Getty Images)
Back in June, a report from French outlet Le 10 Sport (h/t Liverpool Echo) had mentioned Everton among the potential suitors for Saint-Etienne winger Denis Bouanga. The Gabonese international had also been the subject of interest from fellow Ligue outfit Stade Rennes, but he eventually ended up staying put at his current club.
The Toffees, meanwhile, went on to make several high-profile additions to their squad before the summer deadline, including Real Madrid star James Rodriguez.
Denis Bouanga completed his development at Le Mans before starting his professional career with FC Lorient. He featured sporadically in the top-flight during 2014-15 and 15-16 seasons, spending time on loan at Strasbourg in the Championnat National, before being loaned out to Tours in Ligue 2.
The 25-year-old bagged 16 goals in 36 appearances for Tours in 2016-17 before establishing himself as a key player at Lorient following the club’s relegation to the second-tier. Bouanga was then snapped up by Ligue 1 club Nimes Olympique, where he amassed 8 goals and 3 assists during the 2018-19 campaign.
That paved the way for a switch to Saint-Etienne in 2019 and the versatile forward went on to enjoy an impressive debut season at the Geoffroy Stadium. Bouanga registered 10 goals and 3 assists in 26 Ligue 1 outings last term before the coronavirus pandemic brought a premature end to the French top-flight campaign. The Gabonese star has picked up from where he signed off last season, scoring twice in 8 top-flight appearances for Saint-Etienne.
Everton currently find themselves at third place in the Premier League table after a bright start to the campaign, registering 4 wins from their 7 opening fixtures so far. Carlo Ancelotti will surely be happy with the impact made by his marquee signings in the summer, with James Rodriguez quickly establishing himself as the team’s creative heartbeat.
Operating on the right-hand side of Ancelotti’s 4-3-3 system, the Colombian star has complemented Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to good effect in the final third. However, the Toffees’ stellar start to the season has been spearheaded by Calvert-Lewin, who has plundered 8 goals in 7 league games so far.
Indeed, Everton will surely rely on their influential front three to fire them to a top-six finish in the Premier League this season. However, the Toffees will also need some of their other squad players in attack to chip in with some significant goal contribution in the coming months. And that is exactly where the question marks lie.
The departure of Moise Kean and Theo Walcott on loan deals in the summer has left Everton with Alex Iwobi, Gylfi Sigurdsson, and Bernard as the only attacking alternatives to Richarlison and Rodriguez.
Considering that none of them has managed to inspire enough confidence with their performances over the past 12 months, the Toffees need to look for some quality back-ups when the transfer window reopens in January.
Putting things into context, Everton should make a renewed attempt to sign Denis Bouanga from Saint-Etienne during the mid-season trading period. The Gabonese international boasts a good track record of goals and assists in the French top-flight. At 25, the time could be right for him to test his credentials in a more competitive league.
Furthermore, Bouanga has the versatility to operate on either flank, thus potentially making him a better alternative to the likes of Richarlison and Rodriguez at Goodison Park.
Being a three-time Champions League-winning manager, Ancelotti has enough experience to know that having just one quality player in each position is never enough to compete in the elite leagues in Europe. The Italian should, therefore, dive into the market for some reliable back-ups and Denis Bouanga perfectly fits the bill in that regard.
The 25-year-old still has his best years ahead of him and Everton reigniting interest in the Gabonese ace would go a long way towards solving squad depth issues in attack.