Report: Serie A star high on Ancelotti’s January wish-list at Everton
New Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is expected – and is probably expecting himself – to be very busy in the January transfer window.
He probably wouldn’t have joined the Toffees if he hadn’t been offered money to spend, and so the Italian is likely gearing up to make a few moves this month.
Indeed, the Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday that Juventus centre back Merih Demiral is very high on his wish-list.
However, the report also revealed that the club are set to announce their biggest ever losses, and so Ancelotti will be given a smaller immediate transfer budget than anticipated.
The Toffees have plans to offload a host of fringe players, including striker Oumar Niasse, but Ancelotti will be assured that funds to make key additions remain available.
Goodison News’ View
There’s no doubt that a new centre back is a huge priority at Goodison Park this month. Three senior centre halves simply isn’t enough over the course of a season.
Demiral would appear to have the quality to come in and immediately be a starter. Certainly he’s at least a match for Michael Keane and Yerry Mina, if not better than them both.
He’s only played three times in Serie A this campaign due to the presence of Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt. However, he has performed well when given a chance.
The 21-year-old is averaging 1.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per game, while he makes 73 passes an outing with a phenomenal success rate of 91.3%.
In other Everton news, a Premier League rival is reported to be preparing a loan move for a Toffees star.