Everton to Everton: The Perfect Match?

First the update. Brazil and Gremio winger Éverton Sousa Soares (aka Everton Cebolinha) has been linked with Everton football club.

Brazilian outlet Correio do Povo (via SportWitness) are reporting that the Toffees are interested in the forward, though there has been no formal offer from the club for the player. Apparently new manager Carlo Ancelotti has spoken to the 23-year-old, and the transfer fee being mooted is in the £30 million (€35m) range.

Per Gremio’s director Klauss Câmera -

“Everton at Everton is a situation that is coming up more intensely, but there’s no presented offer. In recent months, he’s been linked to several giants in Europe, but nothing concrete.”

In recent months the list of clubs scouting the player has included Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, and AC Milan but despite a strong showing in last summer’s Copa America where he played alongside (and often in place of) Richarlison, there has been no movement for Everton yet.

The right-footed player has most often played on the left wing from where he has been able to cut in to great effect. His entire career has been at Gremio, for whom he’s played 177 times, scoring 47 goals and picking up 16 assists. Everton had signed a new contract in August 2018 that extended to 2022, but then was given another raise in October 2019 that took the new deal out to 2023.

The transfer fee doesn’t quite make sense with Globo Esporte previously saying that the Brazilian side put a £69m release clause in his new deal, and the Blues very unlikely to splash that kind of money in January.

The forward’s key strength is his incredible dribbling ability - excellent close control and quick acceleration makes the conventional winger difficult to stop and even tougher to catch. Considered a ‘volume shooter’, he is adept at firing off from both outside and inside the box, but also shoots at close to a 50% accuracy.

The Toffees are particularly weak at right wing where the ageing Theo Walcott continues to be hit-or-miss and no natural replacements for him in the squad. Richarlison has been used on the right wing at times, while in a conventional 4-4-2 (or 3-5-2) Ancelotti has used fullback Djibril Sidibe at the right midfield position too.

On the left wing, Bernard has a starting spot locked down for whenever he’s fit, despite his inability to play the full ninety minutes. Richarlison has also played often on the left with Anthony Gordon getting closer and closer to making his Premier League debut.

Everton’s particular need is a left-footed right winger, but Everton the player would fit in happily with the Portuguese-speaking contingent at Finch Farm (including Andre Gomes). Whether Ancelotti would set a club record transfer fee to pay his release clause is another matter altogether.