In an unexpected move, Everton are apparently considering re-signing former Blues left-back Antonee Robinson. Could his arrival allow Carlo Ancelotti to push Lucas Digne upfield?
There are stories making the rounds claiming that Everton have decided to bid for the Wigan full-back Anthonee Robinson, as back-up for Lucas Digne.
Robinson is a former Toffees youth team player who left Goodison Park in search of first-team football as Leighton Baines was firmly ensconced as the Blues first-choice left-back.
Now with Baines slightly unexpected announcement of his retirement at the end of last season, Everton need cover for Digne.
The club did sign another left-back, teenager Niels Nkounkou, who the Toffees got from Marseille recently, but he isn’t perhaps ready yet for the Premier League and will be playing in the club’s youth team, so a more experienced player was needed.
Hence the interest in bringing Robinson back. The ex-Everton player went to the Latics and then was on the verge of a shock move to AC Milan before that deal feel through when he failed a medical for a heart condition.
Well now it seems as though the Blues might well try to bring him back for a fee of around £2 million. It always strikes me as a slightly absurd situation to have released a player and then to have to buy him back again!
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It’s a little ironic that Robinson is at Wigan, the same club that Everton bought Baines from when they signed him.
If Robinson does come back to Goodison Park, a big if, thenas well as providing a sound and more than capable back-up to Digne, it might also allow Carlo Ancelotti to try some different tactical formations next season.
Ancelotti could for example, push Digne forward to play wide on the left hand side in his favoured 4-4-2, which has been a problem position, if he couldn’t bring in the sort of wide attacking winger he might ideally want.
Digne is probably the most creative player in the Toffee team and he is a superb attacking player and I think he could well play in a more advanced position.
So in theory some things for Ancelotti to consider and such issues might well be one of the reasons why he is interested in getting Robinson back, if indeed he is.