Reports are again surfacing that Everton are back in on apotential Leroy Fer deal. This is going to be one that you can't completely believe until it is announced by EFC. Apparently both clubs came back to the table and are currently talking about a fee. There are no reports of an immenent deal or news that Fer is on his way back to Finch Farm, but below is a writeup on the young midfielder to keep you busy while we wait for the transfer window to end.
The 23-year-old has helped Twente push for the title from the center of the midfield, and there is no doubt that Moyes is moving to shore up a midfield that has seen countless injuries over the past few months.
As mentioned before, Fer has been capped twice by the senior Netherlands side, and is considered one of the biggest up and coming talents in the Dutch league. Despite playing as a more defensive midfielder, he has shown a flash of a scoring ability with 10 goals from 29 matches over 2 seasons.
Assuming Fer can slot into the starting lineup sooner rather than later, this looks to be a fantastic purchase. With the absence of Darron Gibson, Everton needs a defensive midfielder who has an ability to move the ball around the pitch. As we continue to mention here, teams have begun to double up an Baines and Peinaar, and the lack of a player who can easily switch fields has been noticed. Fer appears to have that ability to direct and attack and move the ball around the pitch. Everton have had some uninspiring form in recent weeks, and hopefully Fer can help reverse that trend. With some easy matches against West Brom and Aston Villa coming up, this is the perfect way for Fer to get his feet wet in the EPL.
For those who are not fans of Phil Neville, Fer's arrival could make you pretty happy. A midfield pairing of Leon Osmand and Leroy Fer could be preferable to the Osman - Neivlle partnership from most of this season. When Gibson comes back, Moyes would then be able to pick 2 defensive midfielders from Osman, Fer, and Gibson. There is even the added benefit of sliding Osman out to the right with Mirallas injured again, that way we don't have to see Naismith on the right side running amok.
Ironically Fer's skillset matches up well with a player all Evertonians know well. If you plopped a nice head of hair on his head, Fer would easily be mistaken for Fellaini on the pitch. He is known as 'The Bouncer' in the Netherlands, and has really settled into a defensive midfielder role. In previous years he has played all over the midfield and up top, so if we have an injury to Fellaini he could slide up the pitch to provide a strong presence near goal.It has to be pointed out that in addition to providing depth and quality to the squad, Fer's signing could be early preparations for life after Marouanne Fellaini after this season.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of this move is going to be young talent Ross Barkley. With the arrival of another midfielder, Barkley is not neccesarily needed to to provide cover for the current squad. This should allow him to remain at Leeds beyond his current one-month loan deal. Barkley has already made an impact at Elland Road, and I'd venture a guess that Leeds would love to keep him for the rest of the season.
This appears to be a great signing, though we must point out that it could take Fer several seasons to fully adjust to the EPL. At 23, Fer still has some development to do, aand Moyes may elect to bring him along slowly. Overall this seems to be a classic David MOyes signing of bringing in a young talent at a relatively low price and working his magic. Hopefully Fer's arrival can rejuvinate this squad like we saw with Gibson and Jelavic last year.