Italian football expert explains how £20million signing will help Everton next season
Everton signing Allan is a ‘bulldog’, according to a journalist who watched him plenty of times at Napoli.
Speaking on Sky Sports News’ Transfer Talk podcast, Italian football writer Nicky Bandini spoke about what Allan, 29, can bring to Goodison Park.
Bandini says that Allan is not simply a ‘destroyer’, and will be able to contribute in all areas of the midfield for Everton.
Bandini claimed that Allan played futsal when growing up in Brazil, and that was where he picked up his technical talent to add to his physicality.
“The word that got used about him constantly in Italy, which is very Italian way of describing a midfielder of his sort, was Mastino, which is a bulldog, he was seen in Napoli and especially when Ancelotti was there, he was framed as being Ancelotti’s Mastino,” Bandini said.
“He’s very much a hard runner, hard worker, very hard-tackling player, I think in amongst that it sometimes gets lost what a technical player he can be as well because, in my opinion, the best football he played was actually not under Ancelotti but under Maurizio Sarri when he was very much involved in the attacking movement, in those triangles that famously became Sarriball.
“He’s a Brazilian player who grew up playing futsal, and so I think you see that technical ability the close control sometimes in the way he plays, he’s more than just a destroyer in my opinion, in fact, I think if you’re using him as a destroyer you’re losing some of what he can give you so I think he’s quite a well-rounded player.”
Allan joined the Toffees for around £20million last week and has been joined by fellow new recruit James Rodriguez as Carlo Ancelotti looks to rebuild Everton’s midfield.
The Brazilian helped Napoli win the Coppa Italia in his final season with the Italian club, and will be looking to help Everton end their long wait for silverware.
Everton will continue spending to try and improve on last season’s disappointing 12th placed finish in the Premier League, with the £25 million capture of Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure to be confirmed in the coming days.
Everton begin their Premier League campaign away at Tottenham on Sunday, a tricky start for Ancelotti’s side, but they will take confidence from their last pre-season game, which saw them ease past Preston North End 2-0.
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