Why signing Egan would help Everton sort out their issues in defence

According to Daily Mirror, new Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is targeting Sheffield United defender John Egan in January.  

The 27-year-old centre-back has been a rock-solid presence at the back for the Premier League newcomers and the Toffees are keen on bringing him to Goodison Park, the report added.

Everton, who are currently struggling, four points adrift of the relegation zone at 13^th place, are looking to enhance their shaky defence which has conceded as many as 29 goals from the 19 games they have played so far.

With their backline looking clearly in shambles, Egan could be the perfect fit to shore up their leaky defence. Egan has been a standout performer for the Blades this season, starting in 18 of their 19 league games and has kept 6 clean sheets until now.

He has played a key role in helping Sheffield maintain the second-best defensive record in the league, with the side conceding just 17 goals, only 3 more than leaders Liverpool.

He is fourth on the list of players with most headed clearances in the league, well above Liverpool’s star defender Virgil van Djik.

The Cork-born centre-back has made 50 headed clearances so far and is only behind Burnley’s James Tarkowski (54), teammate Chris Basham (53) and Manchester United’s Harry Maguire (51).

The sheer number of clearances he has made speaks volumes about his aerial abilities, thus signifying his importance in Chris Wilder’s Blades unit.

However, it has not been the easiest of journeys for Egan, who played for a host of clubs on loan in the lower divisions, finally getting his big break at Sheffield.

The Irishman joined Sheffield, for whom he had earlier played on loan, in the summer of 2018, helping them achieve promotion in his debut season. He has played a total of 63 matches since then and has established himself as a regular.

Undoubtedly a fighter, Egan would be a great addition to a Toffees backline which seems to lack vigour and confidence. Moreover, his addition would offer more depth to an Everton side that has just three defenders in its ranks.

Toffees’ main men Yerry Mina and Michael Keane have failed to form a formidable partnership at the back, with the latter looking clearly out of sorts in recent games.

This has opened the doors for youngster Mason Holgate. Though his performances have been decent enough, he still has a lot to learn if he wants to perform at the highest level.

Read more:

• Why Napoli midfielder Zielinski would be a great signing for Everton
• Why Everton should offload full-back Garbutt permanently
• How Everton could line up if Ancelotti takes charge as manager

Verdict

The Toffees just have 3 centre-backs in their side and Egan’s inclusion would offer new boss Ancelotti more options in the defence.

Moreover, in Egan, Everton will also have a fierce fighter who has plied his trade in the more physical and tougher lower divisions. Hence, signing Egan would help the Toffees solve their ongoing woes in defence.