Whelan disappointed by Everton star’s lack of progress
It’s safe to say that Everton striker Moise Kean hasn’t quite made the expected progress at Goodison Park since his big-money move last summer.
The Italian international has struggled to find the form that made him a teenage phenom at former club Juventus.
However, he has very much improved over the past month, and opened his account for the club against Newcastle United last time out.
Still, that recent progression hasn’t been enough to turn the head of former Premier League striker Noel Whelan.
“I have got to say I am very undecided with the player,” he told Football Insider. “I expected more from him when he signed. He has not hit the ground running at Everton.
“I have always questioned whether he is going to get you 20 goals a season, but he needs time to settle into new life. He is very young; he has got time.
“Right now he is not going to be getting you 20. He needs to learn the English game and probably some more time to settle in. He would not be my first-choice striker, put it that way.”
Is Whelan right to be disappointed with Kean?
In terms of pure goals and assists, then yes. However, when you consider all of the factors involved and the player’s immense youth, then there’s no reason to be too disappointed.
He was always going to take time to get used to English football, so it was ridiculous of Whelan to expect him to be a 20 goal-a-season striker right off the bat.
He ends by saying Kean wouldn’t be his first-choice striker, but he’s not Carlo Ancelotti’s either: Dominic Calvert-Lewin is.
In other Everton news, the club are reportedly set to revisit their interest in a January transfer target in the summer.