Everton: £16k-a-week star now 'one to look out for' at Goodison Park | OneFootball

Everton target Dennis Geiger is “one to look out for” ahead of a potential transfer switch, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Toffees have started the season poorly, currently 17th in the Premier League table, and manager Frank Lampard is looking to strengthen the midfield at Goodison.

What is the latest news involving Geiger?

Geiger currently plays for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim with 106 games under his belt, but his £16k-a-week contract is due to expire in June 2023, paving the way for foreign clubs to secure his services on a free transfer agreement.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg claims that Benfica and Everton are the highly interested parties from abroad, and no contract extension is believed to be on the cards to remain at his current club.

There is also an option to remain in Germany, however, with the same report indicating that there are Bundesliga clubs also interested in the 24-year-old, so it is likely to come down to whether the man himself wants to test himself abroad, or would rather remain in his home country.

What has Jones said about Geiger?

Jones indicated that Everton fans may not be too impressed with the rumours linking them to the five-time Germany U21s international, but claims that it is the type of transfer that they will need to become accustomed to, telling GIVEMESPORT: “At a time when they are uncertain where they are going to be finishing in the league, I think that Everton fans might be a little bit underwhelmed, but it is one to look out for, because this is the type of player I think we’ll be reading a lot about.”

Should Everton fans be excited by signing Geiger?

Dubbed a “live-wire“, the Hoffenheim man has been a fairly consistent performer in the Bundesliga this season, averaging a 6.68 WhoScored rating, the fifth-highest of any outfield player in the squad, putting in one man-of-the-match performance in 14 outings.

However, he is not the type of signing that the Toffees should be getting too excited about, as he does not represent a considerable upgrade on the options that they already have at their disposal.

Amadou Onana has already made three appearances for his national side, Belgium, including one in the World Cup against Canada on Wednesday night, while Geiger has never appeared for his country, despite being nearly three years older.

Other options in the middle include Idrissa Gana Gueye, who has an established pedigree, having made 30 appearances in the Champions League, with 24 of these coming at Paris Saint-Germain, while Alex Iwobi has made a good start to the season, bagging six goal contributions in 15 league outings.

As such, Lampard should instead be targeting a new striker, owing to his side’s very poor record in front of goal this season, netting just 11 goals in 15 games.