Thelwell and Everton now ready to pounce & sign 'phenomenal' £17m maestro; even Zlatan loves him

Everton are among the clubs interested in Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg, according to local outlet 1000 Cuori Rossoblu (via Sport Witness). 

Svanberg is a 23-year-old central midfielder who can also play just in front of the back four or in a more advanced role.

The Swede, who only didn’t feature in last summer’s European Championships due to testing positive for Covid-19, is now approaching the final year of his contract with the 13th-place outfit.

He’s started 31 of their 36 league matches so far this season and made 117 Serie A appearances overall.

Svanberg, the report says, doesn’t intend to renew his deal, and so he’s the ‘most likely’ asset to be offloaded in a ‘profitable sale’.

This sends a ‘loud and clear’ message to his Premier League suitors, including Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Serie A sides Napoli and Fiorentina are apparently in the running too.

In terms of a price tag, Bologna will find it difficult to turn down offers nudging €20milllion (£17million).

What kind of midfielder is Svanberg? Well, first and foremost, he is someone who can augment the attack.

He’s scored three goals, one of which was called ‘phenomenal‘ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and also provided three assists in the league this season.

Svanberg is also above average when it comes to receiving progressive passes – a marker of positional intelligence – and blocks, a testament to his off-ball contribution (via FBRef).

He boasts a similar profile to the likes of Youri Tielemans and John McGinn, two Premier League midfielders with whom Everton supporters may be more familiar.

Notably, he carries the implicit endorsement of compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who reportedly asked AC Milan to snap him up last year.

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