Conor Coady agrees Leicester City transfer after multi-million Everton decision
Former Everton loanee Conor Coady is set to join freshly-relegated Leicester City in a deal that could rise to £8.5million from Wolves, according to the Daily Star.
The print edition of the paper (29 June, page 44) reported that the England international will swap the Premier League for the Championship and will link up with new Leicester boss Enzo Maresca as they aim to bounce straight back to the top flight.
Coady spent last season on loan with the Toffees, but Everton did not exercise their option to buy the defender [The Athletic] after he fell out of favour at Goodison Park as Sean Dyche’s side narrowly escaped the drop.
A chance to rebuild
Coady’s time in Merseyside will not go down as a career highlight for the Championship winning centre-back.
The 30-year-old couldn’t do much to help Everton’s leaky back line as they conceded 57 goals last season. Having played 24 of the Toffee’s Premier League matches, Coady failed to show the quality that made his parent club Wolves successful in their first years back in the top flight.
His stats don’t help his cause either. Coady averaged just 0.60 tackles per 90, placing him in just the 2nd percentile for this metric while only winning 1.07 aerial duels per 90 [FBRef].
Poor performances saw Coady dropped in favour of Michael Keane and Yerry Mina, making his final start after 13 games on their final-day win against Bournemouth.
Coady’s buy-out clause was reportedly just £4.5million [Liverpool Echo]. Despite the low cost for an experienced defender, Everton felt he was surplus to requirements. With reports that Mason Holgate could be set for a loan move to newly-promoted Sheffield United [Liverpool Echo], Sean Dyche’s defence will look rather thin unless they refocus their transfer policy.
However, Coady is well-known for his leadership and infectious personality which has often made him very popular in the dressing room. Leicester City, a club with recent Premier League and FA Cup success, could use a positive personality around the squad to boost spirits ahead of a tough Championship campaign.
He will add valuable experience to Leicester and proven Premier League quality that would likely boost their promotion hopes and revitalise his career following an uninspiring stint in Merseyside.
In other Everton news, a verbal agreement has been struck for a midfielder linked with a move to Goodison.