Everton may have located perfect long-term replacement for Idrissa Gueye as transfer news emerges
Everton are interested in the signing of RB Leipzig midfielder Tom Krauß this summer and Sean Dyche may well have located the perfect Idrissa Gueye replacement.
Sky Sports Germany reported on Monday 29 January that the 21-year-old has no future with the German Bundesliga outfit as a regular starter. It’s believed the Bundesliga side are happy to let him depart in the summer.
Krauß is an academy graduate at the Red Bull Arena, and spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at relegated Schalke 04, but still enjoyed an impressive individual campaign.
Leipzig are looking for a fee in the region of £5million for the German under-21 international with fellow Bundesliga clubs Mainz and Borussia Mönchengladbach both interested along with Everton.
The Toffees will be undergoing a major overhaul of the squad this summer, with plenty of Dyche’s playing staff no longer holding Goodison Park futures ahead of next season.
Everton have been guilty of mismanagement and incompetence in recruitment in the past, handing long-term and high-paying contracts to players who are simply past their best or not warranting such a lofty deal.
And their interest in Krauß this summer certainly points to an encouraging change in tact targeting a player with burgeoning potential with a high ceiling and the capabilities to become a leading performer in his position.
The 21-year-old, despite Schalke’s disappointing relegation this season, has emerged as a promising defensive midfielder – a position Everton will certainly need to address if they are to improve next season.
Belgian international Amadou Onana is attracting plenty of Premier League interest and while Everton will be desperate to keep him at the club this summer, they will be looking to move past one particular player in Gueye, or better yet identify a long-term replacement for the Senegalese international.
Krauß certainly fits the profile perfectly.
As per SofaScore, the 21-year-old profiles a tough-tackling, assured, dominant and aggressive midfielder through his whopping 3.5 tackles per game, and 1.1 interceptions. He’s also won 54% of his total duels and 53% of his ground duels.
In fact, those stats only tell half the story, as per FBRef, he ranks incredibly well for midfielders within Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days.
Krauß ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles per 90, 99th percentile for tackles won per 90, 98th percentile for dribbles tackled, 98th for tackles + interceptions per 90 and 96th percentile for dribblers challenged per 90 showcasing his tremendous tough-tackling nature and qualities when facing up against opponents – these are stats which rank better than Gueye who is a player certainly on the wane right now.
It’s time for the Everton board to be far more astute in their recruitment behind-the-scenes, prioritising the signing of players who can be developed and moulded into world beaters in the future, all while becoming a more profitable and sustainable football club.
With RB Leipzig open to a £5m sale this summer, this certainly ranks as a no-brainer move for Everton to exploit.