Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde, Cameroon - January 10, 2022. Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and Samy Mmaee in action with Ghana's Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Everton have now had a £22m bid accepted for Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, according to the Daily Mail.
The Lowdown: Everton eyeing Sulemana
Journalist Dean Jones stated last week that the Toffees had ‘made inroads with agents’ over a deal to bring the Ghanaian to Goodison Park, with transfer insider Alex Crook later claiming that they were the favourites for his signature.
The need for a new winger has become a more pressing concern for Sean Dyche since the recent departure of Anthony Gordon, who has joined Newcastle United for £45m, and the new Everton boss is edging closer to getting a suitable replacement.
The Latest: Bid accepted for Sulemana
According to the Daily Mail, Everton have had a £22m bid accepted for the 20-year-old, with Dyche said to be keen to rectify the Merseysiders’ struggles in front of goal by bringing in another player in an attacking area.
However, Southampton have also had an offer accepted for the Rennes maestro, so the deal may now come down to which club is able to offer better terms to the youngster.
The Verdict: Great news
The most remarkable aspect of the Ghanaian’s game is his ability to take the ball past his opponents, ranking in the 98th percentile for dribbles completed per 90 over the past year with an average of 3.71. Meanwhile, his constant threat in the final third is highlighted by an average of 5.23 touches in the attacking penalty area, placing him in the 80th percentile.
Those figures are vastly superior to the respective metrics totalled by Gordon in the same timeframe, which suggests that Everton could be able to bring in a better player than their academy graduate for less than half the fee that they reaped for the now-Newcastle winger.
Hailed as a ‘brilliant player‘ by football scout Jacek Kulig, Sulemana has not been in the best of form this season, scoring just once in 14 games in Ligue 1, but he is still very young and has demonstrated his ability in the Europa League, weighing in with two assists in four matches in that competition.
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