Is Muhamed Besic Set to Leave Everton for Middlesbrough?
By Tom Power
Middlesbrough want 2017/18 loanee in permanent switch from Everton
Everton‘s summer clear-out may continue with the departure of Muhamed Besic to Middlesbrough.
That is according to an apparent exclusive from Teamtalk, who claim that the Bosnia international is potentially in line to join Boro permanently.
Besic enjoyed a productive six-month loan with the Teesiders in the second half of the 2017/18 season.
And boss Tony Pulis, who was impressed by the midfielder, wants to bring him in full-time.
Everton want to reduce the size of their first-team squad before the new campaign kicks off and have already sanctioned the departures of three squad members.
Wayne Rooney, Ramiro Funes Moro and Joel Robles have all left Goodison Park since Marco Silva and Marcel Brands rocked up on Merseyside.
And Besic may soon follow them out of the door if Middlesbrough offer a decent fee for his signature.
Besic was signed by former Blues manager Roberto Martinez after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The 25-year-old’s time in L4 has been stop start in nature, with a cruciate knee ligament injury playing a huge part in him missing plenty of action for the Toffees.
Besic fell down the pecking order under ex-gaffers Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce and was allowed to leave on loan in January.
The ex-Ferencvaros man joined Championship outfit Boro and featured 15 times for Pulis’ team, scoring one goal as well.
With Silva wanting to bring in centre midfield reinforcements in, Besic’s time at Everton could soon be at an end.
If Boro can offer, at the very least, the £4m that Everton paid four summers ago then Silva may elect to let Besic leave.
He may be a cult hero on the Goodison terraces but the midfield enforcer perhaps isn’t the quality that Everton need to mount a top four push.
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Besic could be best served moving on then, and reigniting his career with Boro may be his best option.