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Everton are attempting to close in on a deal to bring Mainz midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin to Goodison Park.

The midfielder looks to be lined up as Idrissa Gana Gueye’s replacement after the Senegal international joined Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week.

The Blues would be expected to part with £25m in order to land their target, but what can his presence bring to the Everton side?

First and foremost, it is worth noting how Gbamin’s profile differs from Gueye’s.

(Image: TF-Images/Getty Images)

The Ivory Coast international stands at 6ft 1in and boasts much more of a physical profile than Gueye. He is also heavier and stronger which helps him prove pretty domineering in duels with opposition attackers - he won 60% of his defensive duels last season.

This ranked lower than Gueye’s average of 68% but does rank him inside the top 30 for under 24-year-olds across Europe’s top five leagues. He betters Gueye in the air, however at over 6ft, you would expect him to have a better success rate than 50% in his aerial battles.

This is perhaps an area of his game that he needs to work on in the coming seasons, specifically when you consider the physicality that comes from playing within the Premier league.

The 23-year-old featured predominantly in the base of a midfield diamond last season for Mainz, meaning a lot of his game centred around pressing opponents, winning the ball back and quickly transitioning into attacks.

He doesn’t tend to burst into a sprint from a standing position but instead goes through the gears and utilises a long stride to keep pace with most attacking players he comes across.

His positioning is top class which aids his ability to read opposition attacks and quickly step in to ambush threats on his teams goal. Last season he was averaging 5.61 interceptions per 90 minutes which bettered Gueye’s average of 5.25 for Everton.

The midfielder works very hard throughout a game and will often finish any game he starts. He always tends to show for the ball when in a position to do so and never gives an opponent a ‘free pass’ in any defensive duels across the 90 minutes.

Gbamin is very good at receiving the ball, whether he is standing still or even when he is in full stride. He rarely stands square on, but instead is often on an angle, ready to apply a progressive first touch allowing him to quickly get his head up and look for a pass to a team-mate.

He can’t match Gueye’s pass success rate of 88%, but isn’t far away with an average of 83%. Although notably he proves more penetrating with the ball and averages more long balls and through passes, both with greater accuracy than Gueye.

He doesn't tend to force these actions, but when the correct opportunity becomes available, he tends to utilise it. This is demonstrated below.

Gbamin picks up the ball up and turns, lifting his head up to locate a pass.

No pass is immediately forthcoming so he drives forward with the ball. He then spots the run of his team-mate highlighted in red. He plays an inch perfect pass in behind the defence for the forward to latch onto an unleash an effort towards goal.

Follow tactics writer David Hughes on social media To follow David on Twitter, click here.

Overall, Gbamin looks to be boasting a similar defensive output to Gueye, hopefully easing some of the void left by his departure. Yet the fact he is six years Gueye’s junior and boasting more of an impact in terms of progressive passes is a much welcomed bonus.

He looks to be a shrewd move for the Toffees, should they get a deal over the line.