View: Everton have perfect Idrissa Gueye replacement as 89% Southampton FA Cup hero eyed

Everton have identified the perfect replacement for Idrissa Gueye as their interest in Shea Charles was revealed.

The 22-year-old was the hero in Southampton’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Premier League leaders Arsenal, and the Blues want to sign him.

He came off the bench to poke home a brilliant winner at St Mary’s on 4 April, and that seems to have led to Premier League sides, including David Moyes‘ team, coming out of the woodwork.

A report from the Daily Mail on 6 April claims that the Toffees and Manchester United are scouting the midfielder, who is valued at £20million.

If Everton could beat United to his signature it would be a huge sign of intent from the Friedkin Group.

Why Charles should be Everton’s Gueye replacement after Arsenal showing

Everton have eyed Charles for years, back when he was in Manchester City’s academy, and they may finally have a chance to sign him.

It would make sense as Gueye is out of contract in the summer, with the option to extend by one year, so his time at the top-level is coming to an end.

Charles’ performance against the Gunners was a sign of what he could bring at the elite level, as he shone in a 14-minute cameo.

He attempted one shot, which was the winner, and completed 89 per cent of his passes, misplacing just one, per Sofascore.

The Saints ace took 12 touches and lost the ball two times, showing that he is comfortable in possession against the top-flight leaders.

He was unable to really show off his defensive abilities, failing with the one ground duel that he attempted and winning both aerial duels contested.

How has he performed in the Championship?

A better sample size is his stats from the Championship campaign, where he has featured 24 times, with 16 starts.

In that division, the young holding midfielder has recorded an 85 per cent pass accuracy and created three big chances for his teammates.

He averages 0.8 interceptions, 1.7 tackles per game, 1.4 clearances per game and 4.1 ball recoveries per game in the second tier.

In terms of duels, he has a 59 per cent success rate on the ground, and that is down to 49 per cent in the air.

Overall, he looks like a great replacement for the Blues, if they are planning for life without the Senegal star, if he can replicate those performances at the higher level.

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