Everton Opinion: Toffees would take a step closer to Europe by beating Man United in the race to sign Strootman
According to Express, Man United and Everton have been offered the chance to sign Dutch international midfielder Kevin Strootman on loan from Ligue 1 club Marseille.
Strootman only joined Marseille last summer from AS Roma in a £23 million deal but the Express understands that the Ligue 1 outfit are under pressure to cut down their costs after a disappointing run in the domestic league this term.
The same report claims that Strootman was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford during the reigns of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, and while a move failed to materialize in the past, the Red Devils have been given the green light in their pursuit of the 29-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window.
Express also reports that Everton are also likely to look for a replacement for Idrissa Gana Gueye, who has been linked heavily with moves to PSG and Man United, and the prospect of signing Strootman on loan might be tempting for the Toffees.
Strootman made 27 appearances for Marseille in Ligue 1 this season, accumulating a goal and 5 assists in the process He wasn’t at his sparkling best in his debut season in France but those are definitely quite decent returns for a deep midfielder.
The 29-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic central defensive midfielders in European football and both the aforementioned Premier League clubs should relish having him on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
While Man United are in dire need of bringing in central midfield reinforcements following the departure of Ander Herrera, Everton also have question marks over the futures of some of their options in the middle of the park. The deal to make Andre Gomes’ stay at Goodison Park permanent is yet to be negotiated while Gan Gueye continues to be a man-in-demand.
To put things into perspective, Strootman is a proven customer at the highest level and he would be an excellent signing for both Man United and Everton but the Toffees would bag a massive coup and get one over their Premier League rivals should they manage to win the race for the 29-year-old.
Everton face the risk of losing the services of Gomes and Gana Gueye, both of whom played a pivotal role in their Premier League campaign this past season.
The potential departure of both the payers would leave Marco Silva with Morgan Schneiderlin and Tom Davies as the other options in central midfield, and given that the manager has favoured neither of them during his reign, the Toffees might find themselves in a big hole.
The acquisition of Strootman on loan is likely to solve plenty of problems for Everton.
Standing at 6ft. 2 inches with a towering and well-built frame, the Dutcham is a strong, tenacious, hardworking and technically-gifted defensive midfielder, although he is equally capable of playing in a box-to-box role due to his work-rate, immaculate passing, vision and playmaking skills.
Strootman has carved out a reputation for himself as a wonderful deep-lying playmaker in European football.
A wonderful reader of the game who also excels with his ball distribution and ball-winning abilities, Strootman is not only adept at breaking up the play with tackles and interceptions but he also has the speed of thought and the vision to set up attacks from a deep position in the midfield.
Moreover, he is a good distance-shooter, who is blessed with an absolute wand of a left foot, while also possessing the awareness and anticipation to make late runs into the box. To sum it up, the 29-year-old is a wonderful all-around central midfielder with excellent well-rounded attributes.
Undoubtedly, the 43-cap Dutch international would be an instant upgrade on all of Everton’s existing midfield options and it should be a no-brainer for the Toffees to snap him up on a season-long loan deal.
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Strootman has a wealth of Serie A, Eredivisie, Champions League and Europa League experience under his belt and he is the kind of player that Everton should look at if they are really serious about making a return to Europe.
