How could Everton reinvest Anthony Gordon money?

Everton are on the verge of selling forward Anthony Gordon after an offer was tabled from Newcastle United in the region of £35million, with £15m in add-ons.

The potential sale would allow Everton to operate in the transfer market, just under a week away from the end of the January window.

With the Toffees languishing in 19th place and staring relegation in the face for the second season in a row, this sale could potentially allow Everton to say save themselves, as long as the money is spent correctly.

That is easier said than done considering there has been over £700m spent in seven years under owner Farhad Moshiri’s tenure - and you’d be hard pressed to identify too many successful purchases.

Considering the club has posted losses of over £300m, Everton have resorted to loan deals and free signings as a way to strengthen their squad, but this sale would open up the market for them.

In that case, here’s a few options Everton *could* target to reinvest the money from the potential sale of Gordon.

Enzo Le Fee

Given Everton’s problems creating goals, Enzo Le Fee emerges as a hidden gem. The Frenchman is a midfielder playmaker who boasts a terrific amount of energy and pitch coverage.

He would be the type of midfielder that would need freedom – and that freedom would come with the likes of Amadou Onana and another defensive minded midfielder behind him.

Looking at his stats, they’re extremely impressive; FBref shows that he ranks in the 96^th percentile for shot-creating actions from midfielders, this shows his creative ability. He also ranks high for progressive passes, shots total, non-penalty xG and, most interestingly, tackles per 90.

He ranks in the 93^rd percentile for tackles, meaning his high-energetic and creative performance is compensated with a high defensive contribution – exactly what Everton need to re-ignie their faltering side.

Currently, his deal expires in 2024 and the 22-year-old is only valued at 12m and reportedly earns less than £2k-a-week – he may be a deal that Everton would have to secure sooner rather than later, as more established sides will come knocking.

Ben Brereton-Diaz

Considering the failings of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay this season, Ben Brereton-Diaz is very much in the mould of a fluid forward like Richarlison, a player Everton have failed to replace.

The Blackburn forward has been followed by a range of Premier League clubs, including Everton, and despite reports on social media he’s about to sign a pre-contract with Villarreal, nothing is official.

Scoring 22 goals in the Championship last year, Diaz announced himself as a forward who looks capable of taking the step up to the top flight, and considering his deal expires in the summer, Everton should look to add a young, hungry and versatile forward to their ranks, especially with Gordon leaving.

Diaz, 23, has enjoyed a decent campaign so far, with 10 goals and four assists in 31 games this season. Everton would be amiss if they didn’t make an attempt to the sign the forward now, as reports of a move to Spain begin to emerge.

Azzedine Ounahi

Starring at the World Cup for Morocco, 22-year-old Ounahi is a player waiting for a move away from Ligue 1. Currently at Angers, the young midfielder clearly has a higher ceiling and his first big move could be a move to Goodison Park.

Adding creativity, industry and dribbling qualities to the side, his finesse and skillset would be a welcome addition to a team that has really struggled in attack this year.

His stats show a player who loves to dribble, pass the ball with a high frequency as well as look to switch the play whenever possible – with a long-ball accuracy of 74%.

Midfield is a position that needs assessing, given their creative problems plus the fact that Abdoulaye Doucoure and Tom Davies are both out of contract in the summer.

Ounahi is still mostly an unknown quantity, and his price could range from anywhere between £22-30m, according to reports.

Ola Aina

Another area of weakness is in the full-back areas; instead of focusing one full-back for either side, we’ve decided to focus on a player who can do both. Nathan Patterson had showed promise at right-back before his injury, but Seamus Coleman is 34 and Vitaiy Mykolenko has also struggled to make a real impact this season.

One player with prior Premier League experience who could cover both flanks is Torino’s Ola Aina. The 26-year-old’s deal expires in the summer and his versatility, pace and experience would no doubt be an improvement on what they currently have at the back.

He’s scored more goals and has better aerial duel, take-on and long pass accuracy percentages (according to Squawka) when compared to Patterson, Coleman and Mykolenko this season. At 26, the former Fulham and Chelsea full-back has a point to prove in England and he can play across multiple systems.

It would be a perfect time in his career at 26 to come back to the Premier League and with his deal running out in the summer, he could be signed for a low-fee now or for free in the summer.