After welcoming Hayden Hackney, Everton are already looking to welcome another statement signing in an attempt to bridge the gap between themselves and the top eight.
David Moyes’ side were in touching distance of a European tour last season, but saw their flights cancelled following a tough end to the campaign.
Now, they’ve got plenty of making up to do and could follow up Hackney by signing in-demand Atalanta star Raoul Bellanova.
Football FanCast’s Verdict | |
|---|---|
Credibility | It’s no surprise that Everton are targeting a right-back following the retirement of Seamus Coleman and with Bellanova expected to leave Atalanta this summer, he is the perfect candidate. |
Finances | Rumours that Atalanta have shown Bellanova the door should help interested parties and so should their reported asking price of just €20m (£17m). That is, of course, more than affordable for Everton. |
Insight | Replacing Coleman will be no easy task. The veteran defender was a permanent feature on Merseyside. Alas, at the peak of his powers at 26 years old, Bellanova isn’t exactly inexperienced and his experience in the Champions League would only aid Everton’s European push. |
Impact | There are several Premier League sides chasing the right-back’s signature this summer and that’s likely to create quite the knock-on effect. Everton are likely to stay in the market if they miss out and that could spark another interesting rumour. |
Bellanova is a man in demand ahead of next season. He’s available at a bargain price and at the same time that Everton are replacing Coleman. On paper, the deal makes perfect sense for the Toffees.
Atalanta ready to sell Bellanova
According to Tuttomercatoweb, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have launched an approach to sign Bellanova from Atalanta this summer.
The Italian club are ready to sell the defender ASAP with a move expected to be sealed ‘soon’.
It’s a huge boost for those at the Hill Dickinson, who should have more than enough budget available to match Atalanta’s €20m (£17m) asking price, but there is also lots of competition for his signature given his club’s willingness to sell.
Why Bellanova is the perfect Coleman replacement
This is not an opportunity that Everton will want to pass up. With Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest also interested in Bellanova, the Toffees must turn their approach into an offer sooner rather than later, for the 26-year-old is the perfect heir to Coleman’s right-back throne on Merseyside.
25/26 P90 | Jake O’Brien | Raoul Bellanova |
|---|---|---|
Minutes | 3,124 | 1,374 |
Tackles | 1.64 | 1.18 |
Recoveries | 3.28 | 3.8 |
Duel success | 61.1% | 55.2% |
Chances created | 0.49 | 1.38 |
It was Jake O’Brien who took the right-back spot for much of last season and, as admirable as he was out of position, the numbers tell the story of a player who would thrive at centre-back. Bellanova’s arrival would allow that to happen, whilst handing Moyes a more modern-day fullback.
The Atalanta man can kill two birds with one stone for Everton, but they’ve got the small task of winning a hectic Premier League race for his signature before anything else.
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