The Friedkin Group takeover is off and it has cast Everton‘s future back into a dark sea of doubt. Sean Dyche has welcomed Tim Iroegbunam and Iliman Ndiaye to the fold this summer but more is needed ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
There might be a feeling of uncharted waters up ahead but Everton are at least solid on the field; Dyche has implemented a resilient and robust sheen to his first team, safely avoiding relegation last season despite an eight-point deduction for financial breaches.
While the general consensus is that improving the frontline is of paramount importance, recent developments in the centre of the park have called for attention, and the Toffees are focusing on signing a midfielder.
Everton lining up new midfielder
Speaking to Football Insider, Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has revealed that the Merseysiders will move to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
Amadou Onana is close to signing for Aston Villa for a £50m fee, and while the Belgium international wasn’t always a starting member of Dyche’s team, he will need replacing, and Phillips might just be the man for the job.
The England international has struggled since leaving Leeds United two years ago, but with City keen to offload the 28-year-old, Everton could hand him a lifeline – one that might just work out for all parties.
What Kalvin Phillips could offer to Everton
Phillips signed for Manchester City in a £45m transfer in the summer of 2022, ending a career-long affinity with Leeds, having instrumentally led the Whites to the Premier League and thrived in a stunning debut top-flight campaign under Marcelo Bielsa’s leadership. He’s since been on a downward curve but has demonstrated his considerable ability at the highest level.
Lest we forget, Phillips was a seasoned Three Lions regular and Leeds linchpin, regarded as a “Rolls-Royce” of a player by journalist Josh Bunting before his Sky Blue nosedive.
His interminable period of inactivity at the Etihad Stadium saw him fall by the wayside but his botched loan spell with West Ham United across the second half of last season sent his stock into a more damaging spin, with an error-strewn and ineffective attempt in the middle of the park limiting him to a bit-part role.
But Phillips has plenty still in the tank and could unshackle himself from former struggles with a move to Merseyside, where he could reignite the fire in that ‘Rolls-Royce’ of an engine.
In the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, as Leeds stepped back into the top flight, Phillips excelled, ranking among the top 11% of midfielders for ball recoveries, the top 12% for tackles and the top 9% for blocks and clearances per 90, as per FBref.
A ball recovery is defined by the number of loose balls recovered by a player.
His steely gusto was something to behold, offering a ball-playing prowess to partner his defensive qualities and altogether thriving as he arrested Gareth Southgate’s attention and indeed Pep Guardiola’s.
He earned acclaim after one performance at Goodison Park that year, with leading football journalist Henry Winter and pundit Jamie Carragher gushing over his all-encompassing style.
With Onana on the move, Everton are going to need to sign a tough and tenacious new midfielder, and Phillips – while flattering to deceive of late – could rekindle his verve as the Belgian’s replacement.
How Onana compares to Phillips
Two years ago, Everton signed Onana from French club Lille in a £33m transfer after beating off West Ham United, and he has since chalked up 72 appearances, impressing with his steely displays.
Journalist Antonio Mango has claimed that he “has all the attributes to become a real midfield powerhouse“, marrying his formidable, sinewy stature with a defensive tenacity and sharp technicality.
Indeed, as per FBref, the 6 foot 1 midfielder ranked among the top 8% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues last season for tackles and the top 6% for aerial duels won per 90, so Everton clearly need a player of Phillips’ quality and modus operandi.
As the table above highlights, Phillips at his best is a truly remarkable player, capable of performing with a complete approach unmatched by the lion’s share of Premier League midfielders.
Take, for example, his creativity. In the 2020/21 top-flight campaign, Phillips completed 85% of his passes, which is the same completion rate as Onana last term. The difference? The one-times Whites stalwart was far more progressive, surgically splitting the lines and doubling the soon-to-be Aston Villa titan’s rate of key passes.
Phillips’ City teammate and countryman John Stones has gushed over his ball-playing skills too, speaking of his passing ability when asked what his best attribute is: “Easily his range of passing and how he’s always in the right place on the pitch, his positioning and some of the passes he plays [are] outrageous.”
Moreover, Phillips outshines Onana across almost every defensive metric. Onana is a more active dueler but this is in part due to his dominance aerially. The Citizens’ midfielder stands at 5 foot 9 and is not known for his quality in that regard.
The point of crucial importance is whether Dyche could rekindle the form and fluency that has been lost in the ether over the past few years. Phillips’ decline, though, is circumstantial – a matter of situation, not skillset.
Signing the player would come with an element of risk, but Dyche’s industrious demands could prove to be perfect for Phillips as he strives to get back on track.
Onana, let’s not forget, only started 23 Premier League matches last season, so Phillips wouldn’t be burdened with a task too weighty. It would take hard graft to win over the fanbase and prove that his talent is latent and not lost, but this could prove to be a shrewd signing on Merseyside, should Everton get it done.
