Everton are ‘starting to work’ on a new contract for midfielder Alex Iwobi following his impressive start to the season, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The 26-year-old has been a revelation in the opening weeks of 2022/23 after being moved into a central role by manager Frank Lampard after struggling to make an impact out wide.
What is the latest news involving Iwobi?
A recent report from the Liverpool ECHO revealed that Everton have opened talks with Iwobi over fresh terms as his existing £120,000-per-week deal is due to expire in the summer of 2024.
The Toffees are also said to be in discussions with Jordan Pickford and Anthony Gordon over extending their stays at the club, and Iwobi is the latest player to enter discussions.
It’s been an outstanding 2022/23 campaign for the Nigeria international to date, and he is finally showing the form that Everton hoped he would after they signed him from Arsenal back in 2019 for a fee that could rise to £35 million.
Alongside summer signings Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, the versatile star has formed a formidable midfield trio over the last few weeks and now is set to be rewarded for his efforts.
What has Jones said about Iwobi?
Iwobi is already one of Everton’s highest earners but is now putting in performances that warrant such a significant outlay.
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And Jones has informed GiveMeSport that the Goodison Park outfit are making progress in their efforts to tie down the ‘impressive’ and ‘important’ creative talent to a new contract.
He said: “They're starting to work on it now because obviously, he's been so impressive, so important, and so key to this turnaround. They just want to make sure that they don't let things slip.”
How well has Iwobi played this season?
Iwobi has arguably been Everton’s standout player of this season, registering one goal and six assists in 13 appearances across all competitions.
His assists tally is just one away from matching his best ever total for an entire campaign, highlighting the vast improvement in his performances, and he has also put up some eye-catching underlying numbers.
As per WhoScored, Iwobi has averaged 0.8 shots, 1.8 key passes, 0.9 dribbles and 0.3 crosses per top-flight fixture, placing him in the top five for each metric when compared to his teammates.
Iwobi has been revitalised by Lampard’s clever tactical switch, and he could establish himself as a crucial cog in Everton’s starting XI for many years to come if he manages to maintain this form.