Former Aston Villa and Tottenham striker Darren Bent has hit out at new Everton signing Alex Iwobi, claiming the winger doesn’t have the quality needed on the ball.
The 23-year-old completed a dramatic late move from the Emirates to Goodison Park last week, with the Toffees paying the Gunners around £35 million for his services.
Marco Silva admitted Iwobi was a top target across the summer, with Wilfried Zaha and David Neres also thought to be on the Toffees’ winger wishlist.
However, Bent, talking to Football Insider, believes that the wide man doesn’t have the quality needed to be a success on Merseyside, claiming his final ball is lacking in quality.
I’m an Arsenal fan and I’ve never been Iwobi’s biggest fan.
My thing with people has always been quality on the ball. Whether it was his final cross or his shot on goal, it was always under-hit or there was never really any quality there.
The former England international then went on to add that Toffees star Richarlison has more quality than the Nigerian.
He’d do the hard stuff, go past someone, and you’d want him to make the right decision, but he never seemed to get it right. I wouldn’t say he’s better than Richarlison because he gives you goals, he’s got a bit more quality.
Read Everton verdict
Although £35 million is an extremely high price for a player who has failed to nail down a regular starting spot in the Premier League, Silva obviously sees something special in the wide man to have coughed up the asking price.
If he can develop Iwobi’s lack of productivity in the final third, Everton will have a real player on their hands.
Confidence appears to be a crucial attribute Iwobi needs to consistently perform at the highest level. He’ll have the chance to form a formidable front three alongside Moise Kean and Richarlison, and if he starts well, Iwobi could well prove to be a key member of the Toffees side over the next nine months, silencing Bent’s criticism in the process.
