Three players Everton should consider signing this January
It has been a mixed start to the season for Marco Silva’s Everton with one win and two draws from their first three games. A 2-1 win against Southampton has been sandwiched by 2-2 draws against Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth.
Silva’s new signings have all announced themselves at Goodison Park with the costliest of them all, Richarlison, making a major impact with his goals. Yerry Mina is yet to make his debut as the Colombian continues to regain fitness following the World Cup and Lucas Digne should challenge Leighton Baines for the left-back position at some point of the season. Bernard has looked impressive in the limited play-time he has received so far.
However, Everton have looked a touch rusty at the back. Meanwhile, centre-forward Cenk Tosun is yet to get on the scoresheet. Although Silva has got a rich squad of players at his disposal, Everton must add new players in the January window to enhance their chances of a top-five finish.
Here are three players Everton should target in January.
1. Cedric Bakambu
The Congolese forward moved to China from Spanish club Villareal this summer. He has established himself as a prolific goal-scorer both at the club and international levels. He was in sparkling form for Villareal last season where he scored 9 goals in 15 appearances.
He has set the ball rolling in China as well, scoring 8 goals from 8 games for Beijing Guoan. Bakambu is blessed with plenty of pace and strength and is immaculate when it comes to finishing. He is versatile enough to play either as a centre-forward or a left-winger, often posing a threat from indirect set-pieces.
Although he lacks a bit in terms of aerial ability, the former Sochaux and Villareal man makes up for it with his pace, strength, work rate and finishing. Still only 27, his best years are ahead of him.
Given Silva’s style of play which favours players with a lot of pace, Bakambu should be a perfect fit for Everton. Considering that Bakambu recently moved to China, Everton may have to pay over the odds to secure his services but the 27-year-old is likely to pay dividends in the long run.
2. Jemerson
The Brazilian centre-back joined French side AS Monaco from Atletico Mineiro in 2016 and has been an integral part of their defence since then.
Standing at just over 6ft, the Brazilian has shown a lot of improvement in his gameplay over the years and has developed tremendously in terms of confidence and composure. He is one of those centre-backs who rarely lack in defensive attributes.
The 26-year-old is strong aerially and rarely lets his opponents get the better of him. Jemerson also excels in blocking shots from inside the penalty area and makes crucial interceptions in the defensive areas of the park.
He has an impressive disciplinary record and is agile enough to track quick attackers. Given that Everton lack defensive composure, Emerson could be a good addition to the heart of their defence.
3. Daniel Parejo
A central midfielder by trade, Parejo is a proven customer. He is another one of Spain’s plethora of midfield talents who has found it difficult to break into the national team, having made his debut earlier this year at the ripe age of 28.
The former Real Madrid man, who served a loan spell at Queens Park Rangers earlier in his career, has all the attributes of a perfect central midfielder. With his range of passing and the ability to dictate the tempo of the game, the 29-year-old could be a midfield asset to any team.
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In fact, he can be termed as a deep-lying playmaker who excels both defensively and offensively. He has the vision to play accurate diagonals and defence-splitting balls to the attackers up front. The Spaniard is also excellent in counter-attacking situations.
Valencia will certainly not allow their playmaker to leave unless Everton really splash the cash. He definitely won’t come cheap but going forward, he could be a huge asset for the Merseysiders.
