Everton Strangely Linked With Move for Free Agent Claudio Marchisio
By Tom Power
Italy international tipped for Goodison move – but Blues aren’t likely in for him
Everton have strangely been touted as a potential suitor for Italian free agent Claudio Marchisio.
The former Juventus star is available on a Bosman transfer after his contract in Turin was torn up on the eve of the new Serie A season kicking off, and a curious report from Kick Off claims that the Blues want to lure him to Goodison Park.
Marchisio had spent 25 years with the Italian giants before he was shockingly made surplus to requirement and allowed to leave the club for nothing.
And Kick Off thinks that Everton boss Marco Silva will move quickly to bring the 32-year-old midfielder in despite the summer transfer window being closed for Premier League clubs.
Of course, top flight sides are able to still pick up free agents outside of the window but, with the Toffees’ 25-man squad already registered for the 2018/19 campaign, Marchisio wouldn’t be able to feature until January at the earliest.
Furthermore, Silva and director of football Marcel Brands have spent the past three months reducing the age range in Everton’s squad and bringing Marchisio into the fold would only undermine that ethos they have installed at the club.
There’s no doubting that the Italy international still has plenty left to offer to a top football side. After all, you don’t play nearly 400 matches for Juventus, win 14 trophies and be capped 55 times by your national side if you don’t have any semblance of talent.
It is much more likely, though, that Marchisio will wing his way across the Atlantic and join a Major League Soccer outfit instead – a move that would allow him to dictate matches at his leisure, show off his quality in the USA and earn a decent wedge of cash to do so.
Everton have a wealth of centre midfield talents available to them and bolstered that part of their side with the addition of Andre Gomes on a season-long loan from Barcelona earlier in August, so they won’t miss out on signing Marchisio as they won’t be on for him.