Krepin Diatta - An obvious option that Everton are missing?

No one needs me to regurgitate the frustration around Everton’s problem position at right-back. Six weeks into the transfer window, there has been no credible evidence that the arrival so badly needed is imminent. 

Maybe the club are keeping their cards close to their chest, with every man, woman, and associated dogs knowing full well that Everton are desperate for a full-back. Maybe, of course, the recruitment team are struggling to find the right man.

​Rather than wait for the gossip columns to conjure up another name, and deep dive into their strengths and weaknesses, I decided to roleplay as a scout.

​What full-back can be found that’s attainable, affordable, and fits Everton’s needs? The Vitaliy Mykolenko-Jake O’Brien partnership is about as conservative a pair as can be found in the Premier League. Defensive strengths prioritised, attacking contributions limited. 

O’Brien led all Premier League full-backs for aerial duels won last season, perhaps little surprise given the 6ft 6in Irishman has been stationed in the auxiliary role for some time.

​Everton’s full-back failings are going forward. O’Brien ranked 60th among Premier League full-backs for progressive carries and key passes per 90 last season, and outside the top 50 for crosses, successful attacking actions and crosses. 

Given there are 20 teams in the Premier League and two regular full-backs per side, it’s an indication of his shortcomings. Mykolenko, meanwhile, did not fare much better, ranking 58th for touches in the opponent’s box and 52nd for key passes and expected goal involvements.

​If Everton are to evolve, the Toffees need more output from full-back, without overly compromising the defensive balance that David Moyes craves. 

So, who fits the bill?

​Assessing full-backs across Europe’s top leagues, I ranked their performances last season on two key metrics: Percentage of defensive duels won, and chance creation ratio. The latter assesses the frequency of chances created per 100 passes.

The name that jumped off the page as above the median for both metrics was Krepin Diatta. I’ve loosely followed the 27-year-old’s career, from a talented prospect at Club Brugge to a big move to Monaco, where an ACL injury halted his progress. 

Diatta has followed a familiar path in being converted from forward flyer to full-back, where he started all four games for Senegal at the 2026 World Cup. Since being named as the Best Young Player at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Diatta has won 66 caps for the national team.

​Last season, Diatta won 79% of his defensive duels in Ligue 1 and, despite being 5ft 9in, ranked second for aerial duels won. He was one of the top-performing full-backs in the division for accurate crosses (3rd), chance creation ratio (4th), and key passes (6th) per 90 minutes, while leading all full-backs in Europe’s top divisions by a distance for that aforementioned defensive duel percentage.

​The caveat is a limited sample size. He started only 10 league games and made eight substitute appearances, totalling 1001 minutes, with AFCON and minor injuries impacting his season.

​However, Diatta is now a free agent after leaving Monaco this summer. Crystal Palace are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign the versatile wideman, whose £40,000-a-week wages are more than reasonable by modern standards. Palace, who have already snared Everton-linked Oscar Mingueza as a free agent, are now pursuing another wide option who could suit Everton.

​I’d never advocate any signing as the answer, particularly one with Diatta’s lack of first-team football in recent seasons. But as a free agent, with Everton’s Senegalese links and the need for two right-backs this summer, is it not worth exploring?

Read more - It's a great time for Tyler Dibling to deliver

 

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