Denis Bouanga enjoyed a brilliant 2019/20 campaign with Saint Etienne (Getty Images)
Back in June, Le10 Sport (h/t Liverpool Echo) claimed that Everton were interested in signing Saint-Etienne star Denis Bouanga ahead of the new campaign.
The report suggested that Saint-Etienne were holding onto a bid of £10.7m from Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennes as they were looking for Everton to make a move for the Gabonese. However, no such talks have progressed since then.
Born in France, Bouanga flourished through the ranks of Le Mans and joined Lorient in the summer of 2014. He initially spent his Lorient career on loan with Strasbourg and Tours FC before impressing in his final season with Lorient, scoring 9 goals in 34 Ligue 2 games.
He was then signed by Nimes, where he made 38 appearances before joining Saint-Etienne last summer. He immediately became a regular member of the squad and enjoyed a brilliant 2019/20 campaign. He racked up 10 goals and 3 assists in 26 league games before Ligue 1 was called off due to the pandemic.
Since making his debut in 2017, the 25-year-old has been capped 11 times by Gabon and is currently in a good run of form.
Carlo Ancelotti has been focusing on strengthening his midfield this summer as he has already brought in Allan from Napoli, with the deals of James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure also likely to happen. However, the manager should also focus on strengthening other key areas.
One area they need to strengthen is the flanks. On the left side of the attack, they have Bernard, Alex Iwobi, Yannick Bolasie, and Anthony Gordon. Bernard and Iwobi haven’t been successful and Bolasie spent the previous season on loan, which wasn’t helpful.
Young Gordon just broke into the first-team and lacks experience. Thus, the Toffees should consider signing a winger this summer and Bouanga would be a viable option for the club. The Gabon international played a key role in saving St. Etienne from relegation and has gone from strength to strength in the last few years.
His inclusion to Ancelotti’s squad would definitely bring healthy competition, whilst also adding depth to the attacking unit. Moreover, he is also capable of operating from the other flank and is adept at playing in the midfield as well.
With limited quality on the flanks, it is clear that the Toffees are in need of wingers. And Bouanga could also provide them with some much-needed depth. He has the ability to add firepower to an attack and thus, Everton reigniting their interest in the 25-year-old would be a wise decision.
