Sunderland loanee Wahbi Khazri has found his form again at Ligue 1 outfit Rennes – justifying surprising interest from Premier League giants Everton.
While Wahbi Khazri made quite the impact during his first six months at Sunderland, few went as far as to compare him with one of the world’s most feared centre-forwards.
But new Rennes coach Sabri Lamouchi was in no mood to play down the influence of his in-form loan star as the Breton club hosted Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
“He is the Breton Cavani,” Lamouchi said in quotes reported by The Chronicle. “That he plays centre-forward, we know that it is something that cannot last in the long term, but he does it so well in the fact of being free, to be able to look for solutions by himself, and stand out.”
PSG eventually cruised to a 4-1 win at Rennes, Cavani scoring while Khazri made next to no impact after coming off the bench in the second half. But while comparisons with the lethal Uruguayan are a little over the top, it’s fair to say Khazri has impressed since leaving Sunderland on loan in the summer.
So much so that Everton are reportedly interested in making a shock move for the Tunisian, according to TEAMtalk. After all, it was Toffees boss Sam Allardyce who brought Khazri to the Stadium of Light from Bordeaux in January 2016, handing the fleet-footed attacker a starring role as Sunderland pulled off an improbable escape from relegation.
And after a difficult second season under David Moyes, Khazri has rediscovered that golden touch back in Ligue 1 with five goals in nine starts on loan at high-flying Rennes.
But after Everton were originally linked with a stunning move for the real Cavani, via The Times, fans may be a little underwhelmed if the Breton alternative arrives at Goodison Park in the summer.
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