The Liverpool Echo journalist Gavin Buckland has recently aired some criticism of Everton’s Nigerian attacker Alex Iwobi.
The 24-year-old attacker has been with the Toffees since they agreed a deal which could be worth up to £34m to seal his arrival from Arsenal (per BBC).
Since then, the £22.95m-rated winger has made 28 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s outfit in which he has bagged just two goals and one assist (per Transfermarkt).
So, in a recent episode of Royal Blue: The Everton FC Podcast prior to the Toffees’ 3-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Buckland aired some of his concerns about the attacker.
He said: “He played 150 games for Arsenal before he came to Everton, hadn’t he? So, he was not exactly inexperienced.
“I’m concerned that he cost £35m, for a start, that’s my main issue with him. If he cost £10m, I may be slightly less concerned.
“I am concerned about where he plays and his level of performances on the basis that he cost £35m. We are a little bit short of numbers at the moment, so, wide-right hopefully will only be a temporary position. I think he’s better behind the front two.
“But he can’t really play behind the front two in a 4-4-2 – that’s the issue. [He] can only really play behind a front two in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. So, I think the 4-4-2 is hampering him at the moment.”
TIF Thoughts…
As can be seen in what the journalist had to say, it seems that he believes that Iwobi has not yet proven that he is worth the fee that Everton paid to sign him from the Gunners.
Have you been disappointed in Alex Iwobi since he signed for the club?
Yes, he's not good enough
No, he's done alright
After he has only been the side’s joint-12th-best performer in the Premier League this season with a weak 6.57/10 average rating (per WhoScored), that would certainly suggest that Iwobi has been delivering under-par performances since signing for Everton.