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Goodison News View: Everton must seal summer deal for reported £25m transfer target
There’s no doubt that if you asked a section of Everton fans what position needs strengthening this summer, plenty of them would nominate central midfield.
Injuries have decimated the position this campaign, with summer signings Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin both missing significant time on the sidelines.
The former is back in the fray now – thank the Lord – but upgrades are still desperately needed in the middle of the park.
Fabian Delph hasn’t been good enough this season, Morgan Schneiderlin has been below par for the majority of his Goodison Park tenure, and there are question marks over whether Tom Davies is a Premier League level starter.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti will know that, of course, and he’ll be looking for an injection of top quality over the summer.
It certainly seems that that is the case, and the Toffees boss is thought to be looking to his native Italy for that extra something special.
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Indeed, Italian outlet Calcio Mercato reported earlier this week that Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot’s future could lie with Everton come the summer.
Arsenal are also mentioned as a possible destination for the France international, who has floundered since making the switch from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Whether director of football Marcel Brands can get a deal of this magnitude done remains to be seen, but the report claims that Rabiot would cost a relatively-small sum of £25million – although his wages would set the club back £125,000-per-week.
Yes, the 24-year-old has struggled to make the grade in Turin this campaign, but we all know that Maurizio Sarri’s system isn’t for everyone.
Rabiot would still be a huge coup for a club like Everton, but the fact that the Toffees are slightly lower down the footballing spectrum may be attractive to the player after his troubling Italian job.
He remains an elite passer, averaging 91% pass accuracy in Serie A this term, while he’s averaging two key passes per game in the Champions League.
A central midfield partnership of Rabiot and Gomes would take Everton to a different level, that’s just a fact. If they can get a deal done this summer, they absolutely have to.
In other Everton news, Gomes recalls punching a former Premier League star after going down injured earlier this season.