10 goals already – Who is the Ligue 1 star that Everton and Burnley are trying to sign?

Scout Report – Karl Toko Ekambi

A trio of Premier League clubs are reportedly interested in a January move for Angers midfielder Karl Toko Ekambi. Crystal Palace, Everton and Burnley are understood to be engaged in a three-way tussle to land the prolific 25-year-old, who has been earning a lot of appreciation for his performances at Angers. This season, he has already netted 10 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions for the Ligue 1 side, which is quite a brilliant number for a midfielder.

With the winter window set to open next week, it will be interesting to see which club ends up acquiring his services. That said, let’s take a closer look at the player’s profile.

History

Born in 1992 in Paris, France, Ekambi is a Cameroon international and is currently doing wonders at French side Angers. Having started out as a youth player at Paris FC, the player steadily rose through the ranks to attract attention from a number of French clubs. However, he played for Paris’ senior team from 2010 to 2014 and established himself as a mainstay for the club. However, later in 2014, he joined Sochaux and spent 2 brilliant seasons there, before joining Angers in 2016.

As far as his international career goes, Ekambi has made appearances for the Cameroon national team and is recognised as one of their most talented individuals.

Playing Style

Adept at dictating the pace of the game in the middle of the park, Ekambi has natural attacking instincts. He is quite adept at taking long shots and can hold on to the ball quite impressively. His passes are top-notch and Ekambi also boasts of classy finishing skills. He seems to have a penchant for dribbling and also makes considerable contributions to the defence. He can also cut inside to disrupt the play and turn things around on the counter-attack, making him a very valuable player. However, he does lack offside awareness and is weak at aerial encounters.

Ekambi’s Future

Attention from the Premier League is likely to come across as a huge opportunity for the 25-year-old, who is close to entering his prime years. Regardless of whether he joins Everton, Burnley or Crystal Palace, Ekambi can make significant improvements at each of these clubs. Moreover, signing for either of these clubs can help him get selected for the Cameroon team more often and a player like Ekambi will be a valuable addition to any club he chooses to join. Hence, given a choice, the midfielder must most definitely consider moving to the Premier League.