James Tarkowski shares view on Everton striker Neal Maupay
James Tarkowski has showered praise on Everton striker Neal Maupay, saying he is difficult to play against.
Both Tarkowski and Maupay have joined the Toffees in the summer transfer window. Tarkowski has joined on a free transfer, while Maupay has joined from Brighton.
Tarkowski has been left impressed with the signings the Toffees have made this summer, and he has jokingly said Maupay is an “annoying” player to defend against.
“Neal’s an experienced player and he’s been at this level for a while. I thought he had a very good debut. He was really unfortunate not to score, their keeper made a great save from him,” said Tarkowski to EvertonTv (7 September).
“Annoying! He’s difficult to play against, he’s not the biggest but he gets his body in well.
“He’s a goalscorer. He always gets himself in a goalscoring position. With time, I’m sure he’ll score plenty for us.”
Bold prediction
The Toffees have been linked with a host of strikers this summer, but in the end, they got Maupay.
The 26-year-old made his debut against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, and he did well. He was really unlucky not to have opened his account, and Frank Lampard will be very pleased with his effort.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin probably will remain the first-choice striker at the club, and Maupay could be seen as a reliable back-up option.
However, Lampard will want to create an environment where Maupay can challenge Calvert-Lewin for the regular spot, which will only benefit the club.
It seems Maupay has done enough to impress Tarkowski, but only time will tell whether he would score “plenty” for the club.
Maupay is a fantastic striker, no doubt, but he needs to improve his scoring record. He puts in a lot of effort, and works extremely hard for the team.
However, strikers are judged primarily on their scoring form, and this is where Maupay needs to improve. He scored 27 goals in 109 games for Brighton, having only reached a double-digit figure only once.
With better players around, the stats could change.