Transfer story
Everton are in the market for a striker as it is just a matter of days before Romelu Lukaku bids goodbye to the club and the supporters for a new challenge. The Toffees are set to get a huge sum for Lukaku which will be used for signing reinforcements in the coming months.
Many strikers are being linked with the club but recent reports have suggested that manager Ronald Koeman has decided to invest smartly rather than spending big for a striker as Everton are reportedly set to replace Lukaku with Genoa’s Giovanni Simeone – son of Atletico Madrid’s manager Diego Simeone.
Simeone has long been linked with a move to a big club and had a decent 2016/17 season to justify that. Fiorentina are also interested in the 21-year old but the youngster prefers a move to England which might enable Simeone to don the famous blue of Everton.
He is valued at around €20 million by the Italian club and will replace club’s top scorer in the Premier League – Lukaku. It is a surprising choice by the Toffees but is one which may pay huge dividends in the future.
Player stats
Simeone scored 13 goals for Genoa for the just concluded season as his clinical finishing caught the eye of the clubs interested in him. Though he attempted just 0.5 dribbles and gave just 0.5 key passes per 90 minutes, it is his work in the 18-yard box which makes him a threat. He attempted 2.2 shots in every game for Genoa as the 21-year-old was a genuine goal threat in Serie A. (Stats via Whoscored)
What’ll he offer to the club?
Unlike his father, Giovanni Simeone is a player full of flair who depends on his natural instincts to score goals. He is a typical fox in the box player and is also a good header of the ball.
Simeone is considered as one of the brightest talents to emerge out of the Italian league but a move to Everton and more importantly, to replace Romelu Lukaku might be too soon for the striker.
Worth the money?
His talents make him worth every penny of the €20 million which is his rumoured value but will he be able to handle the pressures of leading the line at Merseyside remains a big question.
Though he is blessed technically, he lacks the strength to survive against the physical teams in England as Everton should only sign him if they are going to use the Argentinian as a second striker and not the one to replace Lukaku as is reported in the media.
