/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63984259/6727626_99a6c3765e2c6384066bfe9cc341d654f3947a5e.0.jpg)
A young pacy winger that can score goals and has had a good season? Of course Everton are linked!
It seems like just about every forward that can play out wide and could be available this summer has been linked with the Blues during this transfer window, and now here’s one more for good measure.
French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter (via Sport Witness) indicate that the Toffees are interested in winger Denis Bouanga who just finished his first season in France’s top flight with Nimes Olympique. The Gabonese international left FC Lorient last summer for a paltry €3 million, but has since then set the Ligue 1 alight with his skills.
Bouanga grabbed seven goals last term, with three assists in 35 games. He also has eleven senior international caps for Gabon, scoring three times playing alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Lemina.
The writer goes on to mention that there is plenty of interest in the player, with Everton and Leicester City joined by PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and Nantes in inquiring about the player, though there have been no official bids.
Here’s an observation of his abilities from Viola Nation, who scouted the player for Fiorentina -
As a player, Bouanga is clearly talented but still a bit uneven. He’s got the pace and intelligence of movement to offer a threat in behind, which is his primary weapon, but he also can drop deep to receive the ball at his feet and beat his man off the dribble. His knack for finding space in the box and finishing with either foot is impressive. Perhaps most intriguing is his defensive work—he consistently wins the ball both in his own half and by stepping forward into the opponent’s half. What really holds him back right now is his often overambitious passing, which needlessly cedes possession.
If he can tighten up his passing, you can see a manager like Montella turning him into a serious weapon via his off-ball work. With the versatility to play on either wing (or even as a striker in a pinch) and his excellent attitude, he’s clearly an ascendant player
Hard to tell at this point which of these rumours are sheer speculation and which are legitimate indications of the Toffees’ interest, at least until we see some departures in the winger department.