Everton Opinion: Toffees should not hesitate to sign Aaron Cresswell as a back-up for Lucas Digne
According to Liverpool Echo, Everton have been linked with West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell, with reports claiming that the Toffees are interested in securing the services of the 29-year-old England international.
Liverpool Echo also understands that Cresswell is likely to be available for a price of around £8million, with the 29-year-old under contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2021.
Cresswell shared the left-back duties with Arthur Masuaku at West Ham this season and his links to Goodison Park might be an indication of his desire to play more regularly. The 29-year-old made a total of 20 appearances in the Premier League this season and a couple more in the EFL Cup, finishing the campaign with 22 appearances in all competitions.
The 3-cap England international made his move to West Ham from Championship outfit Ipswich Town back in 2014 and quickly established himself as one of the mainstays of the Hammers’ backline.
Cresswell excelled as the undisputed first-choice left-back at East London for four seasons prior to the arrival of Pellegrini last summer. The Chilean has favoured Masuaku a bit more for that left-back role and the 29-year-old’s slip down the pecking order has been quite apparent.
Cresswell racked up a staggering 139 appearances for Ipswich before announcing himself on the Premier League stage with West Ham and the left-back has evolved into one of the best in his position outside the big-six in the top-flight. The 29-year-old has made a total of 179 appearances for West Ham in all competitions till date, scoring 5 goals and setting up another 17 in the process.
To put things into perspective, Everton have every reason to look at Aaron Cresswell as a back-up for Lucas Digne at left-back given that he has shown plenty of promise over the course of his five-year stay at West Ham.
The Toffees have plenty of issues to sort out in the summer transfer window, with a prolific No.9 expected to be high on manager Marco Silva’s recruitment list.
Everton should also be looking to secure the futures of loanees Kurt Zouma and Andre Gomes, both of whom have been amongst the standout performers at Goodison Park this term, but they should also focus on strengthening other areas of their squad.
Veteran Leighton Baines is out of contract in a month’s time and he is expected to head for the exit door very soon, meaning that Everton are likely to find themselves short of cover at left-back in the upcoming season.
Digne was brought in from Barcelona last summer as a part of a triple raid on the Catalans and the Frenchman enjoyed a wonderful debut season at Everton this term, with Baines playing the role of an understudy.
Cresswell doesn’t need to be a world-beater because he would only arrive at Goodison Park as a back-up for Digne. While the Frenchman is likely to continue as the first-choice after a stellar run this season, having an experienced head like Cresswell in the ranks would ensure quality cover at the back for Marco Silva.
The 29-year-old is unlikely to cost Everton a fortune and he has a very good track record as well, so snapping him up would be a smart piece of business for the Toffees.
Blessed with good game-reading abilities, Cresswell is also quite good on the tackle and excels with his sense of positioning and awareness at the back.
He is a calm and composed defender, who also has the ability to contribute to the attack with his intelligent overlapping runs, link-up play and well-rounded passing and crossing attributes. To sum it up, the 29-year-old is not lightning quick but he is a full-back perfectly suited to the English game.
To Read More Everton News, Click Here:- Latest Everton News
Everton need to ensure that they have adequate depth and quality in all areas of their squad before the next season gets underway. The Toffees will be expected to challenge for a European spot next season and the acquisition on some valuable squad players like Aaron Cresswell should certainly help their cause.
