Everton have a strong squad ahead of the 2019-20 season where they will be targeting a top 6 position, but need to strengthen in two areas – centre-back and centre forward. The Toffees may bring in a defender before the start of the Premier League season as they have been linked with a loan move for highly-rated Chelsea sensation Fikayo Tomori.
Tomori, who spent last season on loan at Derby County, has a future at Chelsea but may have to leave the club on loan to get some much-needed game time. Sky Sports have reported that Everton are interested in signing him after a deal to bring back Kurt Zouma – who was on loan at Everton last season – fell through.
The young England U21 defender has come through the ranks at Chelsea and has made just one senior appearance for the Blues. He spent the last three seasons on loan at Championship clubs, with the latest being his most prolific at Derby County, under current Chelsea manager Frank Lampard. The Canadian-born defender made a whopping 55 appearances for the Rams last year and won the Derby County Player of the Year award.
What will he add to the team?
Tomori is a talented centre-back who could become a very good Premier League player in the future. The 21-year-old is physically strong with and without the ball and is a strong tackler. In the 2018-19 season, he averaged 2.3 tackles a game for Derby County in the Championship, while making an average of 3.9 clearances a match.
He is also an adept passer of the ball and likes the ball at his feet, making an average of 56.9 passes every game last season, with a pass completion rate of 82.9%. A player who is strong in the tackle, can brush off defenders, as well as move the ball forward with his smart passing, Tomori has all the ingredients to serve as an extremely handy option for the Toffees.
Everton manager Marco Silva currently has only two centre-backs that can help Everton meet their target of finishing in the top 6 – Yerry Mina and Michael Keane, as the other two centre-backs in his squad, Mason Holgate and Matthew Pennington are not good enough for a side aiming to be in the top 6 of the league.
A player like Tomori could be a surprise package and is destined to be a top player in the future.