Everton: Chuba Akpom is a Maupay upgrade
The Toffees need some fresh firepower after a lacklustre campaign…
Everton have been credited with an interest in Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom as manager Sean Dyche looks to build a team capable of thriving in the Premier League.
What’s the latest on Chuba Akpom to Everton?
That’s according to TEAMtalk, who have revealed that newly-promoted top-flight outfit Sheffield United are readying a £10m bid for the 27-year-old, though the Toffees and Crystal Palace are also considering a swoop.
Akpom has entered the final year of his contract on Teesside and while negotiations are ongoing over a new deal, the sway of a starring role at a top-flight club could tempt him to move.
With the Blades looking to take their pursuit of Akpom’s signature into the closing stages, Dyche will need to act swiftly if he is to secure his man.
Should Everton sign Chuba Akpom?
It’s been a testing few years for the blue half of Liverpool, with Everton spending the past several campaigns battling against relegation and churning through managers by the truckload.
But while Dyche only took the reins at Goodison Park in January, replacing Frank Lampard, the gritty, no-nonsense manager looks set to keep his place for the foreseeable after navigating away from danger in the latter stage of the 22/23 campaign.
He has already signed the experienced Ashley Young on a free transfer and Arnaut Danjuma on loan this summer – with a £15m fee agreed with Sporting Lisbon for teenage striker Youssef Chermiti – but Akpom could bring the instant and consistent threat the club strives for to the climb the Premier League ladder this year.
The one-time Arsenal youngster was the Championship top scorer last season as he plundered a fantastic 28 goals from 38 matches, integral for Boro as they reached the playoffs but fell to Coventry City in the semi-finals.
Hailed for his “remarkable season” by BBC Sport’s Oluwashina Okeleji, “winning both the Player and the Players’ Player of the Year awards”, Akpom has finally found his feet after years ebbing and flowing from form, and Everton could offer him the starring role to continue his fruitful exploits and prove to be an upgrade on the club’s current options.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is Everton’s irrefutable star man up front, but the 6 foot 2 striker has spent a lot of time in the medical room over the past two seasons and has consequently scored just seven goals across the past two campaigns, after netting 16 during the 2021/22 league season.
And Neal Maupay has not exactly evoked confidence in the sanguine Everton crowd after scoring just one goal all term following his £15m transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion one year ago.
Branded a “disaster” by journalist Paul Brown, Maupay ranks embarrassingly among the bottom 3% of strikers for goals per 90 over the past year (FBref), and recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.56 in the Premier League, taking just 1.2 shots per game, completing 77% of his passes and succeeding with 37% of his dribbles and 45% of his ground duels.
Akpom, comparatively, recorded an average rating of 7.14 in the second tier last year, complementing his prolific return with 2.6 shots per match, completing 82% of his passes and succeeding with 55% of his dribbles and ground duels.
The Middlesbrough marksman is far sharper and was heralded as a “huge threat” by his boss Michael Carrick last year, also highlighting his impressive “link-up play” and “clever” approach to his trade.
With Everton still short of an attacking cog or two, Dyche might be wise to discard Maupay and offer Akpom the opportunity to thrive for the club, bringing his goalscoring feats to the top-flight and playing a big role in the Blues’ pursuit of prominence.
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