According to Alan Nixon of The Sun, Burnley are interested in Fabian Delph and could make a move for the 30-year-old this summer. Delph has an uncertain future after a forgettable 12 months at Everton and we’ve already brought in Allan from Napoli to replace him. Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure could also be on the way to push him further down the pecking order next season.
Dumpster fire debut season for Delph
We thought we were getting a bargain when we paid £8.5m for Delph last summer, but he’s turned out to be a dreadful piece of business. The midfielder’s debut season at Goodison Park has been a dumpster fire and could lead to a sale before the transfer window shuts in October.
Delph made 20/43 appearances and amassed 1471/3870 minutes of football in all competitions. He suffered a groin injury, hamstring injury, sickness and a muscle injury that limited his playing time and saw him spend the majority of 2019/20 on the treatment table, so fans didn’t see a lot of good from the midfielder.
To potentially go from Manchester City to Everton to Burnley in little over 12 months isn’t a good career trajectory. And us targeting replacements suggests we wouldn’t stand in Delph’s way of a departure.
Allan arrival spells the end for Delph
We confirmed the signing of Allan on a three-year deal from Napoli and it’s clear that he’ll be Delph’s successor. The 29-year-old is a box-to-box player who is combative, adept at turning over possession and also creative in the final third. Allan has been a top player at a top club for some time and should improve our engine room.
And not only are we bringing in one midfielder who can act as a ball-winner of sorts, we are trying to sign Doucoure too. The 27-year-old can also drive with the ball from deep, turn over possession and provide creativity in the final third. A midfield of Andre Gomes, Allan and Doucoure is a lot stronger than Gylfi Sigurdsson, Fabian Delph and Tom Davies.
Summary
Delph has underperformed and needs replacing, so we should welcome Burnley’s interest. Signing Allan and Doucoure would be a big step forward, so it’s great news that Everton are righting the wrongs of the past.
In other news, here’s why Everton won’t sign Rafinha from Barcelona