Why Signing Kevin Vogt Would Address Everton’s Defensive Frailties
Everton are reportedly interested in a January move for Kevin Vogt, who plays as a central defender for Hoffenheim. Sam Allardyce is understandably keen on boosting his defensive forces and has identified the 26-year-old as a potential target. In fact, he was particularly impressive in the club’s Champions League game against Everton’s Merseyside rivals Liverpool, which seems to have attracted the club in the first place.
Hailing from Germany, the 26-year-old Vogt has appeared 25 times across competitions for the Bundesliga outfit this season. He is fairly versatile since he can play as a central midfielder and also a defensive midfielder. The player’s focus almost never wavers during a match and is quite adept at making some well-timed blocks, tackles and interceptions to prevent the opposition from progressing further. Also, at his age, Vogt is quite experienced and that will prove to be an advantage for Allardyce.
At Everton, the defensive situation has been quite haphazard. In their last 5 Premier League games, the Toffees have conceded a whopping 11 goals. Although they have managed to improve under Allardyce’s watchful eyes, they are still making costly defensive errors. The Toffees might have progressed up the table for now but given the amount of competition in the league this season, they need to rectify a lot of their mistakes if they are to truly cement their position in the league table.
Ashley Williams is 33 years old and one cannot hope to see him continue for a long time. The same goes for Phil Jagielka as well, thus bringing up a greater need for a player like Vogt. He boasts of excellent speed, brilliant possession and distribution skills. He could be a valuable addition to the Merseyside club.
Also, Vogt can be quite resourceful even if the new manager were to employ a 3-4-3 formation since that will provide him greater space to utilise his speed effectively. They have been without a quality centre-back for a good majority of the season and despite spending so much already, it seems like they need to indulge in a new signing once more.
A player like Vogt could work wonders for Everton’s frail defence. He might not be able to solve all their issues single-handedly but bringing him to Goodison Park will get them one step closer to truly improving their game. From here on, challenges will only intensify and if Everton are to secure a higher-placed finish and end the season on a strong note, there is no doubt that a player like Vogt can help them in doing so.