Everton are monitoring Fikayo Tomori’s situation at Chelsea with the view to potentially signing the defender on loan during the summer window, according to The Telegraph.
Carlo Ancelotti is understood to be keen on bolstering our defence in the current transfer market, and has seemingly turned the club’s focus to Stamford Bridge after losing out in the race to sign Gabriel Magalhaes from LOSC Lille with Brazilian edging closer to joining Arsenal.
Tomori could become the Toffees’ primary alternative centre-half option over the coming weeks with his immediate future in south west London appearing uncertain, having seen his game time drastically reduce the longer the 2019/20 Premier League campaign rolled out.
Frank Lampard was initially eager to award the 22-year-old a role in his Chelsea side following their time together at Derby County, however Tomori would end the recent term with just 15 top-flight outings to his name and only featuring once since the turn of the year.
Should Lampard decide that a loan spell away from Chelsea would be the best port of call for the one-time England international, Everton would be expected to swoop in against rival interest from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.
Would you take Tomori on loan?
Yes
No
Chelsea benefited greatly from Kurt Zouma’s one year at Goodison Park with the Frenchman returning to Stamford Bridge to make 28 Premier League appearances under Lampard, including an opening run to the season of 20 outings in the first 21 fixtures.
The Blues could look positively on the outcome of Zouma’s loan spell should they decide to sanction a temporary exit for Tomori, positioning Ancelotti and the club well in case Rennes present a realistic opponent for his signature.
Also, while Ancelotti cannot guarantee Chelsea that Tomori will play every game on offer, the Alberta, Canada-born centre-half displayed enough in his Premier League appearances under Lampard to suggest he will easily be able to rival Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate for minutes.
Over their respective Premier League outings last term, £14.4m-rated Tomori averaged a greater number of tackles (1.9) per game than Keane (1.0), Holgate (1.6) and Mina (1.3), interceptions (1.5 to 1.4, 1.3 and 1.0) and committed the least fouls (0.5 to 0.6, 0.6 and 0.7), while ranking joint-second for blocks made (0.5), per WhoScored.
Tomori also averaged more key passes (0.3 to 0.2, 0.1, 0,2), average passes (76.7 to 46.7, 39.2, 46.9), pass success (87.4% to 82.8%, 84.2%, 83.8%), dribbles made (0.6 to 0.0, 0.4, 0.2), and ranked joint-second for shots taken (0.5).
The only real area where Tomori’s stats let him down in comparison to Keane, Holgate and Mina is with his number of clearances (2.8 to 4.8, 3.5, 3.4), showing the level of player Ancelotti could add this summer – albeit on loan.