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It look’s like it’ll be a busy summer for Everton in the right-back department, with plenty of talk going on about who the Toffees may bring in or get rid of in that specific role.
Seamus Coleman was not his formidable self of old in the 2018/19 season, putting in a number of lacklustre performances that made some Everton fans pour scorn on him.
The Irishman’s young understudy Jonjoe Kenny came in to replace him at times, but he could be leaving Goodison Park after Burnley reportedly made an approach to sign him.
If that move materialised, Marco Silva would be left with just Coleman; sensibly, some backup targets have been identified.
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The Toffees have been linked with Benfica right-back Andre Almeida, as well as Paris Saint-Germain star Thomas Meunier – whilst the latter is of higher pedigree in the game, Almeida would be the better option.
Firstly, Meunier looks set to cost in the region of €24m (£21m) with Atletico Madrid also interested in the 27-year-old, so finances wise this move probably wouldn’t be a smart one for a player who probably earns huge wages in Paris and will expect the same on Merseyside.
The former Club Brugge man scored five goals and recorded seven assists in 2018/19, which is eye-catching; 12 goal involvements for a full-back is very impressive.
However, all things taken into account, Almeida is the better option in terms of cost and also in terms of attacking output – something that Silva expects from his full-backs.
The Portuguese right-back is just a year older than Meunier, and will cost around £14m less than the Belgium too with an £8m move being touted.
Most intriguingly, however, is the fact that Almeida scored two goals and set up a whopping 12 more in 2018/19.
With 14 goal involvements compared to Meunier’s 12 and a huge £14m difference between the pairs’ valuations, Everton must ignore the PSG star and target the more low-key option this summer.