Everton Target Mandela Keita Analysed

Everton are reportedly looking at signing Parma midfielder Mandela Keita in the summer transfer window, and I’ve looked into what the 24-year-old is capable of.

The Toffees were linked with a move to sign Keita this week, with the Parma midfielder one of a number of names Everton are looking at in midfield. 

David Moyes wants Everton to sign a number six in the summer transfer window, while they are also pushing to bring in Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough. 

Signing a new midfielder appears to be one of Everton's priorities this summer, especially with Idrissa Gueye currently set to leave due to his contract expiring.

Everton have also been linked with a move to sign Villarreal's Pape Gueye.

When I first discovered Keita

I first discovered Keita around three years ago when watching the under-21 European Championships. I was keeping an eye on Crysencio Summerville for the Netherlands after Everton were linked with a move to secure his signature, but it was Keita who stood out that day. 

Keita was just 21 years old at the time, playing in a defensive midfield position for Belgium. He looked comfortable in possession and was a strong, physical presence in the middle of the park. 

When watching youth football, some players can often stand out due to their physicality with other players yet to fully reach their full potential in terms of their stature. 

Keita certainly did stand out, but he has adapted to senior football comfortably in terms of remaining strong and physical in the middle of the park. 

Keita's strongest aspect of his game is his defensive ability, winning the ball back in midfield regularly. 

The 24-year-old averaged 2.28 tackles, 1.32 interceptions and 0.39 blocks per 90 minutes last season for Parma. The strong midfielder also won 62.3% of his duels, putting him in the 98th percentile for midfielders in Serie A. 

Keita is also a strong passer when he does receive the ball, often keeping possession and playing safe rather than playing progressively too often. That is often used as something to diminish a player's ability, but that is simply his role in the midfield. Win it back and give it to someone else. 

Keita has a phenomenal 61.7% long ball accuracy, putting him in the 95th percentile in Serie A for midfielders. His range of passing is a huge strength, even if he doesn't look to break lines too often. 

That doesn't mean he's not a progressive midfielder. Keita loves to carry the ball from deep, vacating his midfield position in order to get his team up the pitch. The 24-year-old uses his long legs to stride away from players, getting his body between the man and the ball in order to protect possession. 

Out of possession, Keita is a protector. You won't see him engaging in too many challenges if he's not going to win it, preferring to stay in shape and protect the back four. 

There are certainly players out there who engage in more duels than Keita, but when he does make a challenge, he wins it a large percentage of the time. 

Whether he's capable of making the step up to Premier League football remains to be seen, but he is certainly an interesting profile who offers something different in comparison to Everton's current options. 

Keita offers the duel-winning ability of Tim Iroegbunam, but he's more capable on the ball. He offers more defensive solidity than the likes of James Garner and Gueye, who like to press high up the pitch, leaving gaps in behind them. 

It looks as though Everton could be looking to completely reshape their midfield, with Iroegbunam linked with a departure and Gueye currently out of contract. 

That means they could need multiple midfielders to arrive through the door, which makes Keita an interesting option for Everton.