View: Sigurdsson doesn’t do enough to deserve a new Everton contract
Gylfi Sigurdsson made an immediate impact for Everton against West Brom on Thursday, assisting Richarlison’s winning goal within minutes of coming off the bench.
The Iceland international had started as a substitute but he made his introduction count, finding Richarlison’s head with a pinpoint cross from the touchline for the game’s only goal.
Sigurdsson also grabbed an assist against Southampton last weekend, receiving the ball from Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s knockdown and slipping it between the lines for an onrushing Richarlison to round Fraser Forster and finish.
Following back-to-back Premier League games where Sigurdsson directly impacted Everton scoring and subsequently picking up points, conversation has been sparked on social media concerning whether the playmaker should be handed a new contract.
The 31-year old has little over 12 months remaining on his current deal at Goodison Park, and it currently remains to be seen whether the club will look to retain him on a longer contract.
However, we at Goodison News think that recent results would be clouding the club’s judgement if they decided to hand the former Swansea man an extended stay.
One criticism that has often been levelled at Sigurdsson is that he doesn’t do enough on the ball, and some statistics gathered by WyScout support that line of thinking.
After coming on against West Brom, Sigurdsson may have crossed the ball that led to the goal, but aside from that he totalled just five passes, only four being successful, in 32 minutes.
Regarding his aerial delivery, Sigurdsson’s successful delivery percentage also doesn’t make for good reading.
Prior to facing West Brom, Sigurdsson has played 13 times since making a successful cross, seven games of which saw him make zero crosses.
It’s easy to get wrapped up with recency bias when judging a player’s worth, but Sigurdsson still doesn’t contribute enough on the pitch to warrant a new contract beyond his current deal.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are interested in making a move for Stuttgart winger Silas Wamangituka this summer.