Everton have completed the signing of Wolves defender Conor Coady.
The England international, 29, wanted to play regular football ahead of the World Cup and Wolves have sanctioned the temporary exit of their skipper. As such, the Toffees boss Frank Lampard wants the centre-back to beef up his central defensive department.
According to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, along with Conor Coady, Everton want to wrap up the signing of Lille’s Amadou Onana as well. The talks to sign Idrissa Gueye are at the final stages too, with the Merseyside outfit optimistic about re-signing him from Paris Saint-Germain, Romano tweeted.
Coady, a product of Liverpool’s academy, arrived at Wolves from Huddersfield Town in 2015 for a modest fee and has gone on to play a vital role in the Black County club’s recent success in the Premier League. Over these years, he has established himself as the lynchpin of the Wolves backline, featuring in over 300 games.
However, Bruno Lage’s decision to switch to a back four rather than a three-man defensive unit this season has seen Coady being demoted to the bench. With the World Cup just a couple of months away, the English defender’s desire to leave Molineux seemed like a justified demand.
Conor Coady to Everton—A good move?
Everton improved their defensive options earlier this summer by signing James Tarkowski on a free transfer from Burnley. However, Ben Godfrey fracturing his leg and Yerry Mina suffering an ankle injury in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the pre-season had accentuated the need to dip into the transfer market for defensive reinforcements.
Frank Lampard knew how threadbare his central defensive unit had become and had prioritised the signing of Conor Coady, who had fallen down the pecking order at Wolves, with Bruno Lage preferring the young duo of Max Kilman and Nathan Collins at centre-back this term.
Everton can undoubtedly benefit a lot from the arrival of Coady. A veteran of over 300 games for Wolves, the 29-year-old has proven himself to be a solid defender, and his wealth of experience and leadership skills will definitely appeal to Lampard.
A good organiser of the backline and vocal leader, he could go a long way in tightening the Toffees backline that leaked goals at an alarming rate last season. Coady has played in a back five for the majority of his time at Wolves, but he is capable enough to adjust to Lampard’s flat back-four system at Goodison Park.
