If the latest reports are to be believed, Premier League outfit Everton are ready to table the £26.7 million release clause for signing Las Palmas’ attacking midfielder Jonathan Viera. The Toffees were indulged in the idea of signing Swansea City’s star Gylfi Sigurdsson earlier this summer, but owing to the price tag of £50 million which has been slapped by the Swans, Ronald Koeman is searching for alternative options and apparently, Viera is believed to have been fallen on his radar.
Under the tutelage of Koeman, Everton are starting to so some serious transfer business having finished 7th in the Premier League table last season. Securing a Champions League spot would be a target for the Blues and having signed the likes of Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford, Henry Onyekuru, Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney already, their intentions are crystal clear and adding someone like Viera will further give a huge boost to their hopes.
Having emerged through the youth ranks of Atletico Feria and Las Palmas, the Spaniard plied his trade for the senior side of La UD, Valencia, Rayo Vallecano and Standard Liege. Over the course of his career so far, Viera has accumulated enormous experience under his belt and owing to the upward trajectory of his career, his stocks have risen considerably. Further, he is capable of plying his trade as a central midfielder as well as a left winger, apart from his predominant central attacking midfielder’s role and undoubtedly, he would be a handy addition.
What will Jonathan Viera offer Everton?
Jonathan Viera is a player who can create goal scoring openings, space for his teammates, can hold on to the ball fairly well and orchestrates the movements of his side pretty well. Besides, he is excellent with the set-pieces and his decision making ability pretty sound. He is a dangerous crosses of the ball, is clever and creative, understands the game well, times his runs perfectly and doesn’t refrain from testing the opposition goalkeeper when situations permit.
The 27-year-old managed down a fine season with Las Palmas in the Spanish top division last term, having banged in 7 goals and registering 7 assists in 31 appearances with a commendable pass accuracy of 85.1% and 2.7 key passes per game on an average. The former Southampton boss might have been interested in Sigurdsson but with the prospective involvement of such a huge transfer fee, Viera could be a sensible resort for Everton.
Last season, the team had a few dry spells where creating chances was a problem. If they can keep hold of Ross Barkley and sign Viera, the combination of the two and Wayne Rooney’s presence will make up for the loss of form of any one or two of the aforementioned three players.
Statistics Credits: Whoscored
