Everton are weighing up a move to sign Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic as the Turin club prepare to bring a balance to the squad by offloading a couple of players after their spending in the last couple of transfer windows.
According to a report from the Italian tabloid Tutto Juve, after failing to sign Moise Kean, the Toffees have shifted their attention and are planning to land the Croatian International at Goodison Park in a deal worth €15m.
The 33-year-old who wasn’t keen on an offer from China could move to the Merseyside club in what is likely to be his last adventure in Europe, the report adds.
The Bianconeri striker was enjoying a successful season at Allianz Stadium before a series of injuries put brakes on his campaign.
He managed 10 goals and 7 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions last season and played a vital role alongside star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
A good option for the Toffees?
Mandzukic is a versatile player who primarily features as a centre-forward but can play on the left flank as well occasionally.
The veteran is a highly energetic individual and possesses excellent positional awareness in and around the penalty area.
Although the 33-year-old has lost some pace over the years, his ever improving heading ability has helped him add another facet to his gameplay.
He managed 1.4 shots and 3.2 successful aerial duels per game across all competitions last term which could be a major boost to the Toffees seeing their fullbacks’ ability to whip in crosses from the flanks.
The Croat is a mediocre passer of the ball and although his passing range isn’t something to write home about, the Turin forward has the eye to set up his teammates or create goal-scoring chances in the final third.
He averaged a poor pass success rate of 69.8%, 0.2 crosses and 0.5 long balls while recording 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes in the 2018/19 season.
The former Bayern Munich star is strong which helps him shield the ball from the opponent and retain possession in tight spaces on the pitch with smart linkup play or by earning a foul for his side. He was fouled a total of 1.5 times per game last season.
The 33-year-old, despite his age and advanced positioning, boasts decent defensive contribution averaging 1.5 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 0.9 clearances on an average.
The Croatian could be a decent acquisition by Marco Silva and co, however, the Merseyside club already have a young centre-forward in a similar ilk in the dressing room.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin impressed everyone with his selfless performances last season and could see his minutes cut down if the move for the Juventus striker materialises this summer. Everton will preferably want a young striker in his mid 20’s to be challenging him for a place in the starting lineup.
This sounds like a move that can go either way and will come down to what the Portuguese manager prioritizes seeing they need reinforcements in other key areas on the pitch especially in the right-wing, right-back and the centre-back spot.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
