Everton: Dyche adds Fraser to his wish list

Sean Dyche, who is expected to be named imminently as Everton‘s new manager, has placed Ryan Fraser on his wish list as a replacement for the exit-bound Anthony Gordon, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Gordon leaving Everton

Newcastle United have agreed a £45m deal to sign the 21-year-old after he forced a move away from Goodison Park by not turning up to training for three days, so there is now a pressing need to bring in a replacement.

The Toffees were already eyeing a winger before the youngster made it clear that he wanted to leave, with Arnaut Danjuma close to joining before instead signing for Tottenham on loan, and Fraser is now said to be an option for Dyche.

The Latest: Fraser targeted by Everton

According to 90min, the 51-year-old has added the Scotland international to his wish list and there is seemingly a good chance that the move could happen, given that Fraser is free to leave Newcastle this month.

The report adds that the probable new Everton manager is expected to be backed financially in the final days of the January transfer window, with the sale of Gordon raising the requisite funds for the Toffees’ own spending spree.

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The Verdict: Right signing?

Fraser has a wealth of experience in the Premier League, amassing 173 appearances in the division during spells with Bournemouth and Newcastle. That indicates that there would be no initial adjustment period needed and he could hit the ground running at Everton straight away.

However, there may be question marks as to whether the 28-year-old – whose pace has been lauded by Sky Sports’ Keith Downie in recent months – is the best player that the Toffees can attract, given a relatively poor record of just two goals and three assists across 27 top-flight appearances last season.

Fraser has been well-known for his pace throughout his career, with former team-mate Clark Robertson claiming that ‘defenders were terrified’ of him even when he first broke into the Aberdeen first team, while he has been lauded as ‘superb‘ by Miles Starforth in 2022.

However, speed is perhaps the winger’s defining attribute, offering little in the way of attacking contributions this season with zero goals or assists in his eight Premier League outings, so Everton should only make a move for him if they cannot identify a more potent alternative.