Everton Opinion: Why the Toffees should avoid signing Steven N’Zonzi?

According to a report from the Liverpool Echo, Everton are interested in signing AS Roma midfielder Steven N’Zonzi as the 30-year-old has been transfer listed by the Serie A club.

N’Zonzi joined AS Roma from Sevilla last year and was a regular at the club, racking up 39 appearances across all competitions in his debut season. Now though, with Roma having a complete overhaul this summer under new manager Paulo Fonseca, the French international has been put on sale.

With that in mind, should Everton make a move for N’Zonzi this summer? Without any second thoughts, no!

Nzonzi is a player adored by former Everton boss Sam Allardyce. It was under the guidance of Allardyce the Frenchman thrived in English football and later left for Sevilla in 2015 and won the Europa League. At the moment, however, it is Marco Silva at the helm of the Toffees and he must avoid splashing the cash to sign the 30-year-old midfielder.

Everton have added the likes of Andre Gomes and Jonas Lossl so far in the summer transfer window. Silva will be hoping to sign a couple of players more, but it’s important for him to keep hold of the core of the squad.

Idrissa Gueye was one of the Merseyside outfit’s top performers last season and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed. He has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain since January and the French giants may try their luck against this summer of signing the Senegalese.

Silva needs to be prepared for Gueye’s exit and sign a replacement, although, the player shouldn’t be N’Zonzi.

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It’s difficult to see Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands pushing for this deal. Brands is known for snapping up young talents from all across the world with high potential sell-on value.

With N’Zonzi set to turn 31 in December and will have no potential resale value, it would be a poor move from the Toffees and one they should avoid.

Verdict

N’Zonzi has previous Premier League experience and proved in Europe that he can excel at the highest level.

However, with the former Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers midfielder now in his 30s, Everton may well be wise to dodge the bullet and focus on bringing in a younger alternative if Gueye does depart Goodison Park this summer.