View: Everton have bigger priorities as Blues reportedly miss out on Isco
Everton will not be signing Real Madrid star Isco during the January transfer window, with the Spaniard reportedly opting to join Sevilla.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the playmaker will turn down interest from the Premier League in order to remain in La Liga – but it should not be viewed as too much of a blow for Everton.
Everton were linked [CalcioMercato] with a move for Isco, but Carlo Ancelotti’s men have bigger priorities ahead of the January window.
Finding a suitable alternative to Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be viewed as one of Ancelotti’s biggest tasks with the January window just days away.
Premier Injuries report that James Rodriguez is expected back in the new year and with Richarlison also due back – the Toffees should have plenty of options in the attacking third behind the striker.
Ancelotti has already raised some concern about where and how he can afford to rest Calvert-Lewin during such a busy period and it is something he simply has to address during the second half of the campaign.
While the circumstances surrounding the Manchester City postponement were not ideal, it did present the opportunity for some extra rest for the striker and the Toffees squad.
The Italian manager is somebody who likes to rotate his players, keeping everyone involved.
However, that is simply a luxury he cannot afford with Calvert-Lewin, who has started every Premier League game this season – a feat only matched by Michael Keane and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
The threat of Cenk Tosun – who has scored six times in his entire Everton career – is simply not enough to warrant resting the English international, who has become too important for Ancelotti.
With the Toffees enjoying such a good run of form as well, the club risk losing their momentum and potential Champions League push if the striker were to sustain an injury.
In other Everton news, Kevin Campbell claims Bernard’s reported Everton departure is ‘the right thing’