Everton Opinion: Santiago Arias could be the perfect option to provide cover and competition for Coleman
According to Liverpool Echo, Everton are interested in signing Colombian international right-back Santiago Arias from La Liga heavyweights Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that the Toffees Director of Football Marcel Brands knows the 27-year-old very well.
Arias completed an £11 million move to Atletico Madrid last summer from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven but the Colombian is likely to head for the exit door just after a single season in the La Liga.
The 27-year-old made a total of 33 appearances for the Rojiblancos in all competitions this past season but he fell out of favour towards the end of the campaign, with reports claiming that Diego Simeone is prepared to get him off his books. (h/t Liverpool Echo)
Marcel Brands was instrumental in bringing Arias to PSV Eindhoven from Sporting Lisbon back in 2013 and Liverpool Echo understands that he is keen to lure the Colombian to Goodison Park this summer in a bid to provide Seamus Coleman with some competition.
Jonjoe Kenny, who was a regular understudy to the Irishman last season, has left the club on loan to further his development at Schalke in the Bundesliga and his departure has prompted the Toffees to look for alternatives in the market.
Arias has been identified as an affordable option in the market, with Atletico seemingly prepared to cash in on the Colombian.
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Arias initially rose through the youth ranks of La Equidad back in his homeland before earning a move to Europe with Sporting CP.
However, his ill-fated spell in Portugal saw him feature largely for the club’s reserve side, and while he did make 10 first-team appearances, the right-back was never able to nail down a regular starting role due to stiff competition for places.
Arias’ struggle for existence came to an end with a move to PSV Eindhoven in 2013 and the Colombian gradually carved out a reputation for himself in The Netherlands. A hugely successful five-year spell at PSV saw the 27-year-old rack up an impressive 10 goals and 21 assists in 172 appearances, also featuring prominently in the club’s Champions League and Europa League campaigns in the process.
The right-back has also enjoyed a distinguished career with Colombia on the international front, having already accumulated 48 caps for his nation at the senior level.
A three-time Eredivisie champion with PSV, Arias was a part of Colombia’s squad for the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, whilst also helping his nation secure a third-place finish at the 2016 Copa America.
To put things into perspective, Everton need to bring in some fresh faces this summer in a bid to bolster their ranks and Santiago Arias presents a quality option at an affordable price. The Colombian might not have done too well at Atletico but he remains a good right-back with a lot of pace and stamina.
Seamus Coleman spent yet another season as the undisputed first-choice right-back at Goodison Park, contributing with 2 goals and 2 assists in 29 appearances.
Those stats certainly look quite decent on paper, but realistically speaking, the 30-year-old made quite a lot of defensive errors this past season, often leaving a lot to desire in terms of marking the opposition and closing down the spaces.
In other words, Marco Silva’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system necessitates the full-backs to go forward and attack but, at the same time, track back with pace in order to cope with the transitions in play. And that is exactly where Coleman’s lack of agility and sharpness due to his advancing years was exposed.
Arias, on the other hand, is noted for his lightning pace and game-reading abilities down the right-hand side of the pitch, which enables him to play at both right-back and further up the pitch as a winger.
Blessed with a high top-speed, quick acceleration and silky dribbling skills, Arias is a sharp, agile and hardworking full-back with good close control, excellent passing and crossing attributes, as well as above-average ball-interception skills.
The Colombian has the pace to cover a lot of ground up and down the pitch and shoulder both attacking and defensive responsibilities effectively, meaning that he would be a better fit for Silva’s philosophy.
With Kenny now out of the picture, Coleman’s sketchy injury record in recent seasons coupled with his mediocre form might put the club in a big hole next season.
Hence, it is pretty easy to see why someone like Arias would add a lot more depth to Everton’s options at right-back, whilst also providing Coleman with quality competition.
Furthermore, the Colombian’s ability to play as a winger in a more advanced role is likely to boost Silva’s team dynamics massively, given that Theo Walcott didn’t do an awful lot last season.
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That said, Everton should go all out in their pursuit of the Colombian speedster this summer, as the Toffees look to challenge for a European spot next season.
