(Credit: Imago and Everton YouTube)
Everton have had a productive transfer window so far, but are aiming to make more additions before the transfer deadline.
David Moyes has already recruited Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish in recent weeks, and he is aiming to add more to his midfield before the deadline.
Everton have now had a bid rejected for Tomas Soucek, whom Moyes brought to the Premier League during his time in charge of West Ham.
During Moyes’ first spell at Goodison Park, midfielder Marouane Fellaini made himself an iconic figure, and it now appears that the Scot is trying to recreate the Belgian’s impact at Everton.
Tomas Soucek’s stats compared to Marouane Fellaini
Soucek’s profile is very similar to Fellaini’s, as a physical and aerially-dominant central midfielder who can also contribute in attack.
Both have thrived under Moyes, and both had remarkably similar levels of output, with the pair featuring as defensive midfielders and second strikers at various different points in their careers.
- Fellaini made 193 appearances under Moyes, more than any other manager in his career, and scored 32 goals while providing 25 assists.
- Soucek joined West Ham under Moyes and made 207 appearances under his tutelage, also scoring 32 goals, but contributing 11 assists.
Fellaini was a tougher tackler, recording 48 yellow cards compared to Soucek’s 25, and two red cards compared to the Czech’s one.
| Stat | Fellaini | Soucek |
| Appearances | 193 | 207 |
| Goals | 32 | 32 |
| Assists | 25 | 11 |
Marouane Fellaini once compared himself to Tomas Soucek
Moyes is not the only one to spot the parallels between Fellaini and Soucek, with the Belgian himself admitting that there are similarities between them in the past.
“Soucek reminds me of my younger self. He’s a good box-to-box midfielder, he can score goals, he’s an important player for the team,” Fellaini stated of Soucek in 2021.
“Moyes is good at finding players like Soucek. I watched their performances against Manchester United and for me, they dominated Manchester United in both games.”
This was also spotted by Jose Mourinho, who managed Fellaini at Manchester United, who praised the midfielder after West Ham drew 3-3 with his Spurs side in 2020.
“David has found in Soucek his new Fellaini. In the end, they were lucky, but they fought very hard to be lucky so I praise them,” Mourinho told Sky Sports after the iconic comeback.
David Moyes recognises importance of Marouane Fellaini’s profile
Fellaini was a popular player at Goodison Park, but he was often derided by rival fans because of his style, which was a far cry from the silkiness of midfielders such as David Silva thriving elsewhere in the Premier League at the time.
In 2013, when Moyes went to Man United, he brought Fellaini with him as his first signing, and his style has always been more effective with his physical presence available to him in several positions.
Moyes used Soucek in a similar way at West Ham, while Abdoulaye Doucoure was played further forward following his return to Everton last season.
Everton now lack this profile in their squad, which is why Moyes has made a move for Soucek, as an alternative to the likes of James Garner and Dewsbury-Hall, and he could be the ideal efficient alternative to the flair and skill provided by Grealish.
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