Ronald Koeman could be set to sign his first outfield player with striker Diego Rolan being linked with a big-money move from Ligue 1 club Bordeaux to Everton. The Uruguayan joined the club from Defensor Sporting and scored 24 league goals for the French club since 2013.
Officials between the two sides are in advanced negotiations and it should only take a couple of million more from Everton to bring the talented striker to the club for next season. Koeman might be looking to replace Romelu Lukaku, who has been linked with a big-money move away from Goodison Park.
Rolan might not be the most well-known player in the world of football but at only 23-years-old and with Ronald Koeman coaching him, he could turn out to be a gem, such as the players who had done extremely well at Southampton last season.
Everton would be looking to bring in a lot of talent to their side next season but what does the Uruguayan provide the club when it comes to attacking ability?
Rolan did participate in 31 Ligue 1 games for Bordeaux last season and bagged seven goals for the side. He also chipped in with four assists in the league and had a pass completion percentage of 82.7% in the competition.
What this does show is that the striker isn’t the most prolific when it comes to banging the goals, it should be a struggle for him to do well in the Premier League as well if it comes down to just scoring goals.
Rolan though is known to be a pretty versatile player and can be deployed in a range of positions from wide right to wide left and also as an attacking midfielder, though Ronald Koeman might want to avoid that next season.
The Bordeaux man seems to have his best rating when it comes to playing out wide on the left and as per the norm these days, cutting in and then having a shot on goal. The 23-year-old is not the finished produced yet and it will be interesting to see just how Ronald Koeman uses the Uruguayan but the fact that the former Ajax manager has done so well with some of the younger players during his various tenures, it should not be a surprise to see Rolan thrive.
Quick, agile and with good passing skills, Rolan might just be the perfect striker to revive the Everton attack, should Romelu Lukaku leave. He might not have the strength of the Belgian but his pace will be a problem for many of the defences in the Premier League next season.