Dennis Geiger must avoid pitfalls of transfer flop if…

Dennis Geiger must avoid pitfalls of transfer flop if he makes Everton summer move

Everton have been linked with a summer move for Dennis Geiger but just what might the Hoffenheim midfielder offer the Blues?

A report from Kicker – via Sport Witness – says that Sean Dyche’s team are one of several sides tracking the 24-year-old who could become available on a free transfer at the end of the season and, although Eintracht Frankfurt are keen, Everton have shown an interest for a long time.

Indeed, the same outlet claimed Goodison Park scouts were reputed to have been eyeing Geiger as far back as 2019 when Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola was also described as “a big fan”. That was the same year that Everton did make a move for another Bundesliga-based anchor man in the shape of Jean-Philippe Gbamin. But unfortunately the Ivory Coast international’s time on Merseyside has been abysmal since his £25m switch from Mainz and after making just eight appearances (completing 90 minutes twice), he’s been loaned out to CSKA Moscow and now Trabzonspor.

Could Geiger, who has been with Hoffenheim since he was 14, prove a more astute purchase, though? After making his debut in a 1-0 win at home to Werder Bremen on August 19, 2017, the Mosbach-born player has turned out 91 times in the Bundesliga and scored six goals.

Out of his 16 appearances this term, 13 have come in the defensive midfield role in front of defence which suggests – somewhat like the aforementioned Gbamin back in 2019 – he could be earmarked as a possible replacement for Idrissa Gueye. After three seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, the Senegalese international has struggled to replicate the impressive form that earned him a move to the petrodollar-fuelled outfit from the French capital during his first spell at Goodison Park and he will be 34 in September.

A head-to-head comparison between Geiger’s and Gueye’s statistics this season on Comparisonator’s Me2Others tool shows that while the pair operate in a similar area of the pitch, they actually have quite different strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to distribution, Gueye has been seeing more of the ball per 90 minutes with a higher level of passes (44.93 to 39.73); successful passes (40.02 to 34.62) and received passes (33.16 to 29.05).

However, Geiger appears to be doing more with it as he tops the Everton man for successful key passes (0.38 to 0.07); successful long passes (1.43 to 0.69) and successful passes to the final third (9.48 to 7.13). Gueye is busier at both ends with more successful attacking actions (1.52 to 0.75) and successful defensive actions (14.33 to 8.2) as well as making more ball recoveries (6.58 to 3.99) and interceptions (5.82 to 3.46), although Geiger has a slight edge for ball losses (3.39 to 3.53).

Gueye sweeps the board against him when it comes to duels but perhaps the most-intriguing insight into Geiger’s playing style comes from Comparisonator’s Similarity Comparison algorithm which calculates that out of all the Premier League footballers currently in his position, Everton’s very own James Garner is the closest with an extremely high match score of 94%. He’s followed by Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse (73%); Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans (60%) and Brighton & Hove Albion Alexis Mac Aliister (56%) who was recently a World Cup winner with Argentina.

Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.

READ NEXT

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here