Kelechi Iheanacho to Everton could be the perfect fit for the Toffees
Everton have been linked with a whole host of new strikers this summer and the latest is Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, with the Toffees keen on the forward, according to Ignazio Genuardi.
Writing on his personal Twitter account on 27 July, he reports that having missed out on both Moussa Dembele and El Bilal Toure, Sean Dyche is set to turn to the former Manchester City striker who was relegated with Leicester this season.
Some will look at his record at Leicester City and turn their nose up, 55 goals in 206 appearances is by no means, particularly prolific, but his time in Manchester shows he can have a consistent eye for a goal where he managed to find the net 21 times in 64 appearances with most of those coming from the bench.
In fact, when he broke through at the Etihad Stadium, there were many comparisons drawn between him and Manchester United’s rivals’ own star boy, Marcus Rashford, with genuine debates happening as fans questioned who was better.
While his last season at the King Power Stadium was by no means his best, with the Nigerian striker managing five goals and assists in 28 games as the Foxes were relegated, his underlying stats suggest there would still be plenty to work with.
Looking at his FBREf scouting report, there are plenty of areas in which the 26-year-old is much better than your average striker across Europe’s top five leagues, especially when on the ball.
Iheanacho falls within the top 2% of forwards in terms of xAG per 90 minutes, meaning that he creates 0.32 expected goals for his teammates with his passes, while also averaging just under an assist every other game in the last year.
He remains a threat in the final third, producing over three shot-creating actions per match for the Foxes last campaign, while having the xG to suggest that he should be scoring a goal every other game he plays (a better record than 87% of forwards).
However, he isn’t converting anywhere near enough of his chances or spending enough time in the right areas. His 0.32 non-penalty goals per 90 place him in the 43rd percentile of strikers, despite his non-penalty xG being so high.
On top of that, Iheanacho doesn’t see enough of the ball in the penalty area, averaging 4.63 touches per game in the opposition box, a record worse more than half of Europe’s strikers. However, it does make it even more impressive that he can produce such a high xG with so few touches in the area.
Diamond in the rough
Most Everton fans will look at the characteristics above and think something along the lines of ‘great another striker who won’t score enough goals’ but that is too simplistic a view of what Iheanacho could bring to Goodison Park.
For one he also provides a left-footed option, something that none of the Toffees other forwards offer, creating an extra dimension to the attack on Merseyside that cannot be undervalued.
In addition, if Dyche’s plan to improve the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin sees him fit again for the entire season, Iheanacho’s creative instinct will be beneficial in getting the best out of the former Barnsley striker, or any other Everton striker for that matter.
He may not possess the instant ‘wow-factor’ that either Toure or Dembele carry with them, but a striker with Premier League experience, at only 26 years old on top of the fact any potential transfer fee could be cheaper because of the Foxes’ relegation make this deal make more sense.
Whether or not he arrives at Goodison this summer, it’s understandable why Everton have been linked with the forward.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are optimistic they will have the funds to sign a new striker this summer