Everton midfielder Tom Davies could leave the club at the end of this month as a free agent. The Toffees seem to be looking at midfield options available in the market and view Salernitana midfielder Lassana Coulibaly as a player who could add depth to the Everton midfield.
Davies joined Everton at the age of 11 and has risen through the ranks, becoming a first-team player at the age of 17. He has been with the first team since 2016 but his role under Sean Dyche has been that of a substitute. Under Dyche, Davies has not started a single game and has made just nine appearances, amassing 116 minutes of football.
His contract expires and Everton is yet to make a decision over his contract extension. Davies has previously made his desire known of playing regular first-team football but given Dyche’s preferences for Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, and Amadou Onana as starters in the midfield, regular playing time is hard to come by.
Everton interested in Salernitana midfielder Lassana Coulibaly
Davies has been the fifth-choice midfield option, behind Doucoure, Gueye, Onana, and James Garner. With the local lad struggling for minutes under Dyche, he could eventually decide to leave as a free agent and look for regular minutes elsewhere.
Everton is scouring the transfer market for a midfielder and has made an offer to FC Midtjylland’s Emiliano Martinez. According to Tutto Salernitana, Everton has enquired about Salernitana midfielder Coulibaly.
The Malian international was a key cog for the Italian outfit, appearing in 35 Serie A games, netting three goals and assisting another three. Tactically, Coulibaly offers assurance in the middle of the park. He has been termed as a ‘machine’ in the midfield who breaks up play and is a workhorse.
Everton isn’t the only English side who have taken stock of the situation as Brighton and Nottingham Forest are also interested in the 27-year-old. In France, AS Monaco and Olympique Marseille have asked about the midfielder in the past, and could return this summer too. As per another report, Salernitana would ask for a minimum of €8 million for Coulibaly.
Coulibaly operates in the central midfield but is also capable of playing the No.6 role, sitting deep and breaking up the opposition play. Coulibaly is a great tackler, averaging 2.61 tackles per 90 minutes. He has fifth in the Serie A list for most tackles attempted (84) and won (50). With the ball at his feet, he will drive forward and take on defenders, averaging 1.49 successful take-ons per 90 minutes.
The Malian does strike as a decent option to have in the engine room who can provide depth and energy on the field. If Davies does depart as a free agent, EFC will have to sign a midfielder and Coulibaly must be considered.
