Report – Everton plot swoop for 24y/o Serie A talent
Everton are interested in signing Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, according to Italian outlet Il Tempo‘s print edition, as per Sport Witness.
The Albania international is understood to be attracting attention from Merseyside, as well as fellow Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
Strakosha has been in impressive form for the Serie A side this season, conceding just 23 goals in 26 outings – a vast reduction on Jordan Pickford’s 46 in 29.
It is understood that Lazio would be willing to double the 24-year-old’s current salary to £1.8 million per season in an effort to prevent him leaving for the Premier League at the end of the campaign.
And that desire to keep him, coupled with the club’s likelihood of playing in the Champions League next season, could prove to be a major stumbling block in the Toffees’ efforts to lure him away from the continent.
Would Strakosha be a good signing for Everton?
Objectively speaking, yes.
There’s no doubting his talent, and he has had a very impressive season, averaging 2.82 saves per game and conceding just 1.07 goals per game, as per Wyscout.
For reference, Pickford is averaging 2.45 saves and 1.27 goals per game.
In that respect, Strakosha would be a good signing, and seemingly an improvement on what the Toffees have.
But does that mean that they should go out of their way to sign him?
Certainly, there would be a lot of supporters who might suggest that Pickford has not done enough to warrant him being ousted so suddenly.
Yes, there have been mistakes here and there, but for the most part he is still a very reliable stopper.
Factor in Strakosha’s likelihood of staying in Italy, and this could be a very hard one to get over the line for all sorts of reasons.
In other Everton news, Kevin Phillips reacts to £50m Toffees transfer report.