Everton are keeping an eye on Leicester City’s Kasey McAteer ahead of the January transfer deadline.
According to Football Transfers, the Toffees are looking to add a new winger to Sean Dyche’s first team squad in the winter transfer window.
Following his breakthrough into the Foxes’ first team squad, the Premier League club has kept an eye on the 22-year-old.
McAteer has scored four goals in 11 appearances for Enzo Maresca’s side in the Championship this season.
Would Everton benefit from signing Kasey McAteer?
It remains to be seen what kind of fee the second-tier club will demand in any potential January sale of the forward, but it is unlikely to be cheap.
Here, we ask our FLW writers to weigh in on how much the Leicester player is worth in the face of top-flight interest…
Declan Harte’s
McAteer has been impressive for Leicester when given game time, despite injuries stifling his progress in October.
Due to his lack of Premier League experience, clubs may be hesitant to spend money on him in January.
However, given how important he has become to Maresca’s first team, Leicester will want to charge a premium for his signature.
The 22-year-old is only under contract until the summer of 2025, so his value will be lower than that of some of the players the Foxes sold earlier this year, including James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
A bid in excess of £25 million or $30 million could persuade Leicester to sell the forward.
Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements, especially given their current relegation battle at the bottom of the table as a result of their 10-point deduction penalty.
McAteer could be a good fit for Dyche’s style of play, but paying so much for someone who has never earned consistent minutes in the Premier League would be a risk.
Mr. Alfie Burns
McAteer demonstrated his potential at the start of this season. He played a key role in Leicester’s best start to a Championship season, scoring four goals in five league games in August and September.
An injury curtailed his participation, but he’s returned to the fold and will be looking for a big finish to 2023.
Leicester have a mid-term contract to fall back on, and they are aware of his talent. If Everton do come calling, there’s no guarantee he’ll come cheap. You suspect that the Premier League club will have to pay a sizable eight-figure sum.
The fee in question, as well as the fact that Everton don’t actually need a winger, could be an issue here, but the main thing that will likely prevent this transfer from happening is the two clubs’ positions in their respective divisions.
Leicester City are top of the Championship and, following their incredible start, are well on their way to reestablishing themselves as a Premier League club. Meanwhile, Everton are in the Premier League’s bottom three following a 10-point deduction; they could still get points back after an appeal, or they could even stay up despite the deduction. The fact remains, however, that there is only Burnley between these two in terms of English football’s pyramid, so a move to Merseyside would not be a huge leap for McAteer.
He’s better off staying where he is, where his chances of joining a Premier League club in the future are much lower.
