Everton have missed their chance to sign Champions League star Mohammed Kudus as Brighton move nears
Everton have missed their chance to sign Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus, with the Ghanaian midfielder set to sign for Brighton and Hove Albion, according to David Ornstein.
The Athletic reporter said on his personal Twitter account (5 August) that the 23-year-old is close to joining Robert De Zerbis’s side in a deal worth £34.5m and has long been a transfer target for the former Shakhtar manager as well as the Toffees.
With 11 goals and four assists for Ajax in the Eredivisie last season, Kudus was always going to the subject of plenty of transfer speculation, but it was perhaps his form in Europe that was most impressive scoring four times in six Champions League matches.
You’d have to imagine that the signing of Kudus alone would’ve propelled the Toffees to relative safety, such is his undoubted ability. But that may also be the exact reason they weren’t able to bring him to Goodison Park this summer.
A look at the numbers behind the Ajax man’s success provides a quick indication of just how good he already is. His FBref scouting report places him in the 99th percentile of several key areas when compared to attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s next five leagues.
In terms of non-penalty goals per 90 minutes played and non-penalty xG, Kudus lies in the 99th percentile of his positional peers, meaning he is expected to average a goal at least every other game in which he plays.
On top of that his pass completion rate sits at an astonishing average of 85.5 per cent once again placing him in the top one per cent of attacking midfielders and his successful take-on rate of 4.57 a match is also better than nearly all of his positional peers.
Creatively he still leaves a bit to be desired, falling below the average for progressive passes and chances created and he also doesn’t work particularly hard defensively. But Everton are in need of extra sources of goals and Kudus would’ve likely solved that problem almost on his own.
Change in hierarchy
The truth is that Everton’s standing in the Premier League has changed massively in the last few years and Brighton almost fill the role that the Toffees used to, the team just outside the European places who play nice football and pick up talented individuals.
That’s not the Toffees’ cross to bear anymore and therefore the pool in which they purchase their talent has also changed and while that is a disappointing place to be for most Everton fans, it also represents a new type of excitement.
Instead, they are likely to pursue targets who could be the next Kudus, like young Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti, and hope they reach the heights of players like the soon-to-be Seagulls star.
Sean Dyche seems to have produced a good feeling around Merseyside this summer and while he is doing things a different way, there will still hopefully be plenty to be excited about this season.
In other Everton news, Sean Dyche has confirmed that the Toffees remain active in the transfer market