David Moyes’ side are perhaps performing as you might have expected of them in the Premier League, sitting 12th in the table, but only four points off fifth place. Despite that, Everton may well be in danger of losing a few key midfielders in the summer.
Indeed, they are faced with navigating a tricky few months on the negotiation front, which could impact them for the rest of the season and beyond. Two crucial midfielders, James Ganer and Idrissa Gana Gueye, are out of contract at the end of the season, and it is unclear whether they will extend their stay.
This could lead the Toffees to sign a new midfielder to help add cover to Moyes’ squad.
Everton target Gueye replacement
Moyes’ side are already looking at potential midfield options, with contractual situations hanging in the balance. Watford star Imran Louza is one of the names who to have cropped up as they bid to add depth in midfield.
When it comes to replacing Gueye, there is a report from Italian news outlet Il Messaggero which suggests the Toffees have already made contact regarding a move for Roma’s 23-year-old midfielder Edoardo Bove.
After suffering from a cardiac arrest during a game for Fiorentina last season, he was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator. Sadly, Serie A rules do not allow him to play with a defibrillator, so he must leave Italy in search of a new opportunity.
This could be an easy deal for Everton to do, due to Friedkin Group’s ownership of Roma, too. However, Championship side Watford are also in the race for the midfielder, who will be a free agent.
Why Bove would be a good addition
At 23 years of age, Bove still has plenty of football ahead of him. He is ready for a return to action, explaining that “I want to play again,” before confirming “my body has responded well. Now I need the right club and the right plan.”
The versatile midfielder has not played this term due to the regulations prohibiting him. Yet, he has shown for Roma in previous campaigns how good he can be, playing 92 times for his boyhood club, operating mainly as a number eight but also playing as a six and 10.
He only played 15 times in a Fiorentina shirt before suffering cardiac arrest, but showed his quality going forward. He set up four goals and bagged one of his own, even operating as a left-sided midfielder at times.
Described as a “complete” midfielder by football analyst Ben Mattinson, the Rome-born star has some impressive stats from his time at Fiorentina.
For example, he averaged 1.8 tackles won and 2.01 carries into the final third per 90 minutes, which placed him in the top 3% and 16% of Serie A midfielders, respectively.
Bove key stats in 24/25 Serie A
Stat (per 90)
Number
Percentile
Assists
0.21
92nd
Goal-creating actions
0.74
99th
Tackles won
1.8
97th
Tackles and interceptions
3.17
82nd
Carries into final third
2.01
84th
Stats from FBref
There are certainly some similarities between Bove and Gueye, which could make him the ideal replacement for the Senegal midfielder. It remains to be seen at this stage if he will stay at the Hill Dickinson Stadium or move on in the summer.
This season, he’s played 13 times in the Premier League, missing a chunk of games recently due to AFCON duty with Senegal. He’s shown similar combativeness off the ball to the Italian, winning 1.37 duels each game this term.
However, like the 23-year-old Roma star, Gueye also offers a threat in the final third. He’s scored twice this season, and this strike against Brentford in 2023/24 shows him crashing the box in a similar way to Bive against Roma last term.
It seems like this deal will be a free transfer for Everton, so it is largely risk-free. There is no denying the quality that Bove will bring, and it is certainly easy to see how he is of a similar profile to Gueye.
He could be the perfect player to add depth and quality to Moyes’ midfield in a time where they might lose some key men.
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