Everton are reportedly keeping a close eye on Lyon star Memphis Depay ahead of a potential summer move, but is he the man to take the club to the next level?
According to claims from France, the Toffees’ director of football Marcel Brands and head of European recruitment Gretar Steinsson have travelled to Lyon to observe Depay and his teammate Lucas Tousart in action against Lille.
Twitter: Everton duo Marcel Brands (Director of Football) & Grétar Steinsson (Head of European Recruitment) are at Lyon vs L… https://t.co/XNKb4ipe8S (@GFFN)
The Netherlands international has enjoyed a strong campaign in Ligue 1, finding the back of the net on eight occasions and setting up nine goals.
Depay has rejuvenated his career in France after an unsuccessful spell with Manchester United, where he saw his progress stagnate as a consequence of limited first-team opportunities.
Nevertheless, the versatile attacker is back to his best and has flourished in Bruno Genesio’s side despite their inconsistent form of late.
His future at Lyon has come under scrutiny in recent times, however, and it seems the ex-PSV Eindhoven star will be a man in demand when the summer transfer window rolls around.
The question is, though, would he provide Everton with the star quality that they need to break into the top six next season?
The Toffees have a plethora of creative attacking players who have performed well this term. Richarlison has proven to be worth the £50 million outlay, Bernard has been a bargain, and Gylfi Sigurdsson has shown signs of his quality.
However, there does still appear to be something of a missing link in Marco Silva’s well-oiled machine at Goodison Park.
Signing Depay would certainly be a statement of intent. He remains one of Europe’s most exciting attackers, and his pace, guile and cutting edge would undoubtedly improve Everton’s options.
There will be plenty of suitors for the 25-year-old, however, and without the allure of European football on Merseyside next season, convincing Depay to join could be a challenging task.
Although, if Everton are to finally force their way into the conversation among the heavyweights of the division, they could start by signing players of this quality.
It’d be a massively exciting bit of business from the club, as they continue to look towards their bright future.
