Everton’s recent transfer dealings have proven to be somewhat of a success, working against the notion that the Toffees only sign duds that have called Goodison Park home for a short period of time before packing their bags after the move completely flops.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s addition to the ranks back in 2020 has proven to be an inspired bit of business, the ex-Watford man now a consistent performer for the Merseyside club with the 30-year-old midfielder even popping up with three goals in the Premier League this season.
Moreover, his regular partner in the centre of the park in James Garner has also been a shrewd acquisition – leaving behind boyhood club Manchester United last year for a move to the nearby Toffees, slotting into the starting lineup now more times than not at the expense of an ageing Idrissa Gueye.
Even with the central midfielders at Goodison performing valiantly at this moment in time, Sean Dyche could well be eyeing up young Brazilian sensation Gabriel Moscardo as another holding midfield option, with a whole host of clubs queuing up to tussle for the 18-year-old’s services alongside the Blues.
Everton transfers latest
The current Corinthians man is likely to be subject to manic interest from a plethora of suitors this coming January, the teenager linked with moves to Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Fulham and more, according to TEAMTalk.
As the report noted, Everton are also in pursuit of the Brazil U23 international, stating that the Toffees are monitoring the youngster’s progress amid the desire to raid South America for some ‘clever signings’ in the New Year.
If they were to land this highly rated teenager – who could command a fee of £26m – come January, Dyche could have his very own Declan Rice potentially, with Moscardo compared to the Arsenal star of late – as per GOAL’s Krishan Davis.
How Gabriel Moscardo compares to Declan Rice
Referred to as a “destroyer” by scout Ben Mattinson when describing Moscardo’s style of play, the Brazilian’s other varied attributes bear striking similarities also to the former West Ham United skipper, with the aforementioned Davis writing last month:
‘Nominally a defensive midfielder who compliments his fine reading of the game by breaking the lines with lung-busting forward runs with the ball at his feet, the parallels are clear to see with Arsenal and England star Rice.’
The Corinthians’ number 44 can dominate games centrally, confident with the ball at his feet going forward whilst also unafraid to launch himself into a tackle if necessary – as displayed by his five yellow cards already this campaign from just 15 league matches, a fierce ‘destroyer’ in the middle of the pitch.
Over the last year for his Brazilian employers, Moscardo has averaged 3.08 tackles per 90 minutes whilst also carrying out further defensive work 2.76 blocks per match to shore up his side as an anchor-like figure, via FBRef.
It’s his forays forward however that draw the most direct comparisons to Rice, the former Hammers man is well-known for his assuredness to travel with the ball in tight areas coming out from the back – completing an average of 2.22 progressive carries per match over the last year for both West Ham and the Gunners.
The 18-year-old is so highly thought of as his statistics in the same area mirror the formidable Arsenal man, albeit Moscardo is playing in his native Brazil and not in the intense Premier League.
He could however be ready for a top-flight move imminently if he continues to excel with Corinthians, averaging 1.80 successful take-ons each game over the last 365 days for the South American giants, whilst coming in at a lesser but still impressive 1.69 progressive carries compared to his experienced counterpart.
It looks ever more likely that Moscardo will be upping and leaving his native Brazil in January – and with potential added investment from 777 Partners – Everton will hope they can shock everyone in landing the young midfielder ahead of major interest from top clubs.
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