Everton must turn their attention towards Leo Scienza deal as scouts take in Southampton star
Everton should be trying to line up a deal to sign Southampton winger Leo Scienza as part of their efforts to strengthen the squad this summer.
The Brazilian is enjoying an excellent season in the Championship, and he dazzled for the Saints in their shock FA Cup victory over Arsenal on Saturday night.
The 27-year-old received plenty of plaudits for his performance in that clash, and that looks set to do his prospects of a Premier League move the world of good, after talkSPORT reported that several scouts from top clubs would be in attendance at St Mary’s.
Southampton are expected to struggle to keep hold of the wideman if they remain in the Championship next season, which should put the likes of David Moyes on red alert.
Everton’s transfer plans are set to see them try to add more options in the attacking areas ahead of next season, and Scienza has already proven himself to be a player who would be capable of stepping up.
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Moyes has always been a manager who has been prepared to look into the lower leagues to unearth gems in the transfer market, and it has provided great success for him in recent years.
The Scot signed Jarrod Bowen from the second tier during his time at West Ham, while Tim Cahill’s arrival from Millwall was a hugely influential move during his first stint on Merseyside.
| Scienza | Stats | Fatawu |
| 30 | Apps | 39 |
| 14 | G/A | 16 |
| 0.63 | xG + xA per 90 | 0.44 |
| 2.26 | Chances Created per 90 | 1.32 |
| 2.26 | Successful Dribbles per 90 | 2.75 |
| 1.45 | Shots on Target per 90 | 0.74 |
Everton’s pursuit of Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu is clear evidence that second-tier players are on their radar once again this season, and with that in mind, Scienza will surely be a player of interest.
The former Heidenheim man has already notched six goals and eight assists so far this term, a tally that he has achieved from just 30 league games so far.
That is an incredibly strong return for his first campaign in English football, and he highlighted his quality even further by giving Arsenal’s Ben White a torrid evening on Saturday.
He leads Southampton when it comes to both assists and big chances created so far this season, and Everton should be ready to try and coax him away from St Mary’s in the summer.
Leo Scienza a better option for Everton than Abdul Fatawu
Everton have been linked with Fatawu repeatedly in recent windows, and they have appeared prepared to try and exploit Leicester’s difficult situation in order to strike a deal this summer.
However, it could certainly be argued that they should be turning their attention towards Scienza instead of a move for the Ghana international.
The pair usually operate on opposite flanks, but the Saints star is outperforming his counterpart in almost all of the key attacking metrics so far this term.
He is creating more chances for his teammates and also taking more efforts at goal himself than Fatawu, although that is perhaps to be expected given that he is playing in a stronger team.
Nevertheless, Scienza has continually shown this season that he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League, and Everton could hand him the perfect chance to do that this summer.
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