Fulham are set to seal a major deadline-day signing after agreeing a fee of £22 million with add-ons with Everton for the signing of midfielder Alex Iwobi per Fabrizio Romano.
Alex Iwobi Now Set to Leave Everton
Greater Firepower Needed at Everton
The Toffees have had a poor start to the campaign losing their opening three Premier League games. The club narrowly avoided relegation last season and have fueled pre-season predictions of another tough year ahead having not scored a goal in the first three league games.
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Sean Dyche has added forwards Beto from Udinese, and Chermiti from Sporting CP and secured loan deals for Leeds’ Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma from Villareal in response to the lack of goals. There are rumours that the Merseyside outfit are targeting a move for Luis Sinisterra from Leeds and to fund further incomings there must be outgoings.
‘Here We Go’: Iwobi Set to Join Fulham
Romano has reported that the former Arsenal player will undergo a medical in London today ahead of a deadline day move to Craven Cottage. The 27-year-old has reinvented himself over the past few seasons, transitioning from a winger to a progressive central midfield player.
The Nigeria international has been one of Everton’s top players despite the club struggling in recent times and received special praise from former manager Frank Lampard last season after another excellent display in defeat against Chelsea. Speaking to the club’s official website, Lampard stated: “The benefits of Alex were very clear early in my days of getting here.
“He’s versatile because of his qualities, and he’s also versatile because of his humility. Anything you ask of him, he does it, and he does it really well.
“He’s an intelligent footballer. When I considered moving him into central midfield, I asked him about the positions he’s played throughout his career. He literally named pretty much every position on the pitch! He’s done it all.”
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Question Marks Remain Over Midfield
The departure of Iwobi leaves question marks over the make-up of the club’s current options in the middle of the pitch. Amadou Onana is the stand-out player in this position with Abdoulaye Doucoure proving his worth with some important goals to help Everton avoid relegation at the end of the previous campaign. Idrissa Gueye and James Garner will have to step up to fill the Iwobi-shaped gap if Everton are to have a successful season.
Main Photo Credit: Kathrin Mezger on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
