Everton seem to have two steps back instead of moving forward. After a summer where they spend quite a lot of money, the season hasn’t gone the way the fans and the board expected it to go. So much so that they had to get Sam Allardyce on board to maintain a bit of stability after the abysmal start under Ronald Koeman.
The club has the money to spend in the upcoming transfer window as well, but they’ll have to go about it smartly. The Toffees spend quite a lot of money, but the balance of the squad was still pretty awry when the season began. They’ll have to solve that problem in the coming summer.
One of the positions that needs strengthening is the left-back area. Leighton Baines has been a good servant at the club but he is past his peak and the club need some fresh blood to fortify their defence.
If recent reports are to be believed, the club could go after West Ham United left-back Aaron Cresswell who is rated at 25 million pounds. The former Ipswich man has had an okay season. Compared to the previous two seasons, he hasn’t been able to kick on and that’s a bit disappointing as he really showed some promise during his debut Premier League campaign.
Cresswell – fact file
After an impressive time at Ipswich Town, West Ham United moved in for Cresswell in the summer of 20214. He impressed immediately during his first season at the club and was touted by many to play regularly for England as well. However, his performances levels have dropped more recently.
So far this season, he has managed to make 30 appearances. His stats aren’t the best, though. His passing accuracy leaves room for improvement at 76.8% and though the number is bad predominantly because his crosses haven’t been made use of in the box, he still needs to work on his passing in general.
He has mustered six assists this season which is a decent return, and at Everton, that number could go up considering Cenk Tosun is an excellent header of the ball and knows how to exploit space in the box.
Will Cresswell be a defensive liability for Everton?
There is a good chance he might be. He is far more suited in a wing-back role as his starting position isn’t the best for a fullback. He is more of an attack-minded player, so he could leave a fair amount of space behind for the opposition wingers to exploit.
However, if Everton decide to play with two holding midfielders, they can cover Cresswell’s weaknesses. Having said that, under a new manager, the fullback will have to adapt and shun his attacking forays a bit to do more of a complete job. He has the experience of playing in the top flight, so he’d be a decent addition to the team.
Stats via Whoscored
