Noa Lang has been backed to make a transfer to Everton with his style of play incredibly similar to one of the biggest stars across Stanley Park.
Former Premier League manager David Webb, who has worked in scouting and recruitment roles at 11 European clubs, reckons the 22-year-old would be a good fit for the Blues and he told the Athletic : “The Premier League will be tempting for a player who is now a full international and involved in the Netherlands’ current Nations League campaign.
“Arsenal have scouted him. Where Antonio Conte’s system at Spurs might be too rigid to incorporate him, he’s the type of player who might make an impact at a side like Aston Villa, Everton or Newcastle.”
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Just what sort of player is the Club Brugge man, though? Although listed as a winger, he actually operated as a centre-forward in 93% of his matches for the Belgian side in 2021/22 and his style of play seems to reflect the kind of modern, flexible forward that could appeal to Frank Lampard and Kevin Thelwell, able to operate both centrally and down the flanks.
While that suggests that Lang could be a potential replacement for Richarlison, who has already cast doubts over his Everton future with remarks after the season finished, Comparisonator’s Similarity Comparison deems that the player most like him in style throughout world football is none other than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah with a 95% match. In terms of other current Premier League performers, next up is fellow Reds player – for now at least – Sadio Mane on 89% followed by the Blues’ very own Demarai Gray on 82%.
Although Lang’s goal tally in the Jupiler Pro League dropped from 16 in his debut season (while still on loan) in 2020/21 to seven last term, he was still making a significant impact in several other areas. Using Comparisonator’s Virtual Transfer tool, Lang’s statistics for the past season can be placed against those currently operating in his position in the Premier League.
Lang has more shot assists (1.59) per game than anyone playing in the English top flight last term with Leeds United’s Rodrigo top on 1.22 followed by the aforementioned Mane on 1.1. Lang would also be ahead on expected assists (0.34), ahead of Manchester City pair Gabriel Jesus (0.32) and Phil Foden (0.31).
He absolutely dominates in several passing parameters, not only making more passes than anyone else (47.21 ahead of Premier League leader Foden on 39.35) but there are also more successful ones (36.9 with Foden making 32.9). Lang is receiving more passes (50.04) than any of his peers, with Mane (43.86) the Premier League’s best, while his 1.13 successful key passes per game tops English top-flight leader Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur on 0.9.
Not only does Lang make more successful passes to the final third (20.57) than Foden, who is top of the Premier League charts with 16.35, his background on the flanks is demonstrated with more crosses per game (2.21) than anyone currently operating in the division with Leeds United’s Daniel James in first place with 1.93. Such attributes make him a tantalising prospect but if he does end up at Goodison Park, Evertonians will have to hope that he fares better than his gifted but temperamental compatriots Andy van der Meyde and Royston Drenthe, who both had troubled spells as wide men with the Blues.
- Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.
