Things are really starting to heat up at Everton in the transfer market.
As they prepare for life at their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock, the Toffees have, so far, made five new signings.
Most notably, striker Thierno Barry has arrived from Villarreal and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has joined from Chelsea, but the headline arrival is Jack Grealish’s loan move from Manchester City, which contains a £50m option to buy.
Nevertheless, David Moyes still wants to add more attacking quality to his squad, so could the Toffees target a “special talent”?
Everton's attacking options
With Grealish in the door, observers are wondering where the England international will fit into Everton’s attack.
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Iliman Ndiaye was, by some distance, the Toffees’ most-productive forward last season, scoring 11 goals across all competitions during his debut campaign on Merseyside, with the Senegalese international deployed on the left.
This suggests Grealish is going to be played more centrally, so could the Blues add another rapid winger to their team, one that’ll help get the best out of their high-profile new arrival?
Well, according to Alan Myers of Sky Sports News, Everton have added Leicester City winger Abdul Fatawu to their list of targets.
Vinny O’Connor of Sky Sports News adds that the Blues have turned their attention to Fatawu as they are ‘reluctant’ to meet Southampton’s £45m price tag for Tyler Dibling.
No potential fee has been reported thus far, but the Ghanaian international’s transfer value is estimated to be around £15m, so could the winger soon swap the King Power for Hill Dickinson?
What Abdul Fatawu would bring to Everton
Fatawu’s European career began at Sporting CP, making 12 senior appearances for the Lisbon-based giants, before moving to Leicester City in August 2023, initially on loan, before the move was made permanent for around £15m a year later.
The Ghanaian international was key to the Foxes’ EFL Championship title-winning team during his debut campaign in the East Midlands, before making just 11 Premier League appearances last year, heartbreakingly suffering an anterior cruciate ligament rupture against Angola in Talatona during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier back in November.
The 21-year-old is back now, playing 78 minutes of Leicester’s league opener against Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, so could he be in line for a return to the Premier League?
Speaking on Match of the Day, Shay Given labelled him a “special talent”, while Gary Lineker was left baffled every time then-manager Steve Cooper chose not to start Fatawu.
The Leicester starlet is a direct, dynamic threat who regularly looks to beat his man, having ranked in the top 7% of Championship wingers for take-ons attempted in 2023/24, as per FBref, successfully completing 2.88 of those per 90 (ranking in the top 6% in that regard). That mirrors his potential new teammate, Grealish, who ranks in the top 1% in Europe for progressive carries per 90.
While the left-footer is often erratic in front of goal, having ranked in just the bottom 8% for shots on target in that promotion-winning campaign, he does still boast an astonishing effort in his locker, such as this one against Bournemouth in an FA Cup tie.
They add that Fatawu is at his best when he ‘receives the ball close to the touchline’ on the right wing, able to dribble forward or combine quickly with teammates.
So, let’s assess his statistics from Leicester’s Championship promotion-winning campaign.
Goals
6
5th
Assists
13
2nd
Shots
75
3rd
Goals – xG
+1.3
3rd
Key passes
72
2nd
Big chances created
32
2nd
Shot-creating actions
133
3rd
Goal-creating actions
23
2nd
Attempted take-ons
181
2nd
Successful take-ons
90
1st
Progressive carries
144
3rd
Average SofaScore rating
7.52
2nd
As the table documents, Fatawu was at the heart of everything Leicester City did in an attacking sense when they won promotion from the EFL Championship, namely in terms of scoring goals, creating chances and much more.
His creativity and dribbling prowess is surely what makes the 21-year-old such an attractive proposition to Everton.
Fatawu would alleviate a lot of the creative burden that’s surely going to be thrust onto Grealish’s shoulders, making runs in behind with which either Grealish will be able to find him, or the Ghanaian will pull defenders away, thereby creating space for the England international.
Put succinctly, all available evidence suggests the pair would form an excellent partnership, thereby making Everton both fun and, more importantly, a dangerous attacking team again.
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