Everton have not given their faithful supporters much to be positive about having won just seven Premier League games out of a possible 27.
With 11 league fixtures left to play and only three points above the relegation zone, Frank Lampard has a big job on his hands to keep the Toffees in the top division for another season.
One player that has not been particularly helpful for the team is midfielder Andre Gomes, someone who has certainly played his part in where the Merseyside club sits in the top-flight table.
With 12 league appearances under his belt, the Portugal international, who has been slammed for his “ridiculous” decision making on the pitch in the past by Garry Birtles, has failed to show exactly what he offers the team.
From an attacking point of view, the 28-year-old has only managed to make nine live passes that have led to a shot at goal, which is fewer than defenders Ben Godfrey (21) and Lucas Digne (22), who left Goodison Park back in January.
On the flip side, in terms of his defensive actions, or lack thereof, the former Barcelona figure has only won nine of the 15 tackles he’s attempted, fewer than the likes of Alex Iwobi, Demarai Gray and Richarlison.
His overall performances have earned him an uninspiring overall season rating of 6.21 from WhoScored, making him the lowest-rated Toffees player to have started more than one league game.
With these stats suggesting that Gomes has been of very little use to Everton, the upcoming summer transfer window could give Lampard the chance to finally get rid of the dud.
With that possibility in mind, Gomes’ potential exit could pave the way for the Merseyside club to finally land a transfer target they were after during the previous summer window.
A recent report from the Daily Mirror has claimed that on-loan Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who Everton were reportedly after in the previous summer, is set to return to England after his current loan deal with AS Roma comes to an end.
Given the drama around his exit from the north London club, it seems unlikely that they would want him back in their squad, meaning that they could be enticed into selling him on a permanent deal this time around.
If this would open the door for Everton to make a move for the midfielder, who has been described as being a “huge talent” in the past by Mikel Arteta, it could give Lampard the chance to build the £48k-per-week Englishman into an important figure for his side.
The Arsenal man’s potential arrival would surely also spell the end of Gomes’ period at Goodison Park, dislodging him in the middle of the park and supplying the Toffees with a more energetic and dynamic central option.
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