View: King is running out of time to earn new Everton deal
Leaving Bournemouth at the 11th hour on transfer deadline day last month, Josh King would have hoped to have made a more immediate impact after arriving at Everton.
The Norway international has made eight appearances in the Premier League so far this season, all of which have come from the subs bench, and none of which have yielded either a goal or an assist [Transfermarkt].
Carlo Ancelotti has used King sparingly, with his longest cameo lasting just over half an hour, and in none of his appearances so far has he resembled the goal threat that played havoc against Everton in the past.
The 29-year old will see his short-term deal with the Toffees come to an end this summer, with Everton only signing him on an initial six-month contract.
Despite having struggled for minutes, however, The Athletic have reported that King is keen to remain on Merseyside, where he hopes to show Ancelotti his worth.
With just ten games of the season remaining for Everton, competition for European places are beginning to heat up, meaning the Blues can ill afford to waste any opportunity.
Due to King’s underwhelming performances on the pitch over the past two months, Ancelotti is unlikely to depend on him when it really counts, though he may be forced to play him due to a serious lack of depth both up front and out wide.
King seems to have everything you would need to succeed at Everton.
Once described by former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe as “outstanding physically, technically and mentally” and as “the complete package”, it’s surprising to see how much his stock has fallen.
Just 12 months before signing for the Blues, Bournemouth batted away a £20million offer from Manchester United to steal King away from the south coast club [Mail Online].
King had excelled for the Cherries from the moment they broke into the Premier League in 2015, and he remains their top goalscorer in the competition having scored 48 goals during his time as a Premier League player at Dean Court.
Possessing pace, strength and a clinical edge, King had all the right traits to see him succeed in the top flight, but he’s running out of time to put his ability into practice at Goodison Park.
Everton could have European football to contend with next season, and if they are able to qualify for either continental competition they will need to strengthen the squad.
The Toffees won’t be able to offer King a permanent deal on the basis that he could come good – he has to start showing now exactly why Ancelotti needs him around next season.
At the moment King just isn’t doing enough to convince, and if he doesn’t shape up quickly he could run out of time.
In other Everton news, Rio Ferdinand has showered praise on Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin.