Three reasons why Arouna Kone would be a good signing for Everton
As it looks more and more likely that Ivorian striker Arouna Kone is going to rejoin former Wigan coach Roberto Martinez at Everton many people have questioned whether signing him for £5 million would be a good deal for ‘The Toffees’. There are three reasons why I think that Kone could improve the team at Everton which would make him good value for money.
1) This is the most obvious reason but he would of course add more depth to Everton’s striking options. It would give Martinez more of a choice, whereas Moyes was fairly limited to either Nikica Jelavic or Victor Anichebe as the sides only recognised strikers Arouna Kone would be a decent third option. He proved he can score goals in the Premiership with Wigan, notching 11 times for the Latics last season, so he would definitely add more fire power to Everton’s front line but I think his arrival at the club would also give Anichebe and Jelavic in particular who was below par last season more incentive to perform.
With tougher competition for places they will have to work harder and improve to hold down the striker position should Martinez choose to stick with a formation that only accommodates one striker?
2) If Martinez were to change the formation and use two strikers though, I think that Kone would be the perfect foil for Nikica Jelavic and the pair could form a good partnership. Jelavic had a great first season for the club scoring 30 goals in 45 appearances however last year he only managed 16 goals in 50 appearances. No one could quite put their finger on what had gone wrong with ‘The Jellyman’ but confidence seems to be at an all time low for the Croatian.
I feel the imminent arrival of Kone could help Jelavic find his groove again in the side, the Ivorian’s movement would definitely provide Jelavic with a lot more space to work with. One of Kone’s best attributes last season was his movement and vision, he would often pop up on either flank as well as through the middle which created a lot of space for his team mates to exploit. That could be exactly what Jelavic needs someone alongside him who can drag the opposition centre backs out of position allowing the Croatian to get in behind them.
3) The final reason why Kone would be a good signing for Everton would be that he has already played under Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard managed to bring Kone to the Latics for just £3 million the return of 11 goals in 33 games makes good value for money. During that time there have not been any real issues between the two and it appears that Kone enjoys playing under Martinez and he can get the best out of the striker. If they can re-create that on Merseyside it will surely be a good move for Kone and good value for Everton.
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