Once again the Napoli centre-back Khalidou Koulibaly is being touted with a move to Everton this summer as Carlo Ancelotti allegedlly considers strengthening his options at the back.
This player was heavily linked to Everton in the summer not least of course because he knows Ancelotti well from the Italian’s coaching days at Napoli. That often seems to be the only basis for these transfer rumours.
But his fee and the probable desire of the player for a Champions League club meant that whether he was on the radar of the Toffees boss or not, he wasn’t likely to be joining Everton.
And then on deadline day the Blues moved for young Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey and the story went dead.
Koulibaly has also been linked with a move to a number of other Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Manchester City.
Godfrey himself has done well but the website running this story claim that Ancelotti wants a ‘marquee’ defensive signing to give him additional quality and experience.
Again all this seems a little far-fetched to me not least when they claim that Farhad Moshiri has sanctined another big summer of spending. That doesn’t seem consistent with what Ancelotti himself has been saying.
The Everton manager has made it clear that he isn’t likely to splash the cash this year after shelling out more than £60 million last summer on Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Godfrey.
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That wasn’t a lot compared to past transfer windows where the Toffees have wasted vast quantities on mediocre talent, but in this financial climate and following other statements he made about the team’s evolution, it would be surprising if the club spent as much again in a few months time.
That’s not to say this Everton squad doesn’t actually still need some major surgery, I think it does but surely his priorities must be improving the pace and energy in midfield, finding a good quality right back and strengthening the attack on the right.
Recent matches particularly the embarassing and costly home defeats to sides like Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley indicate this team is actually further away from being truly competitve than Ancelotti probalby thought earlier in the season.
And if that’s the case then of course we can’t rule out another summer of heavy spending if Ancelotti insists on it, especially if Everton sell a few of the players on the fringes of the first-team who might still command a haf decent fee.
I’m thinking of players such as Cenk Tosun, Bernard, Andre Gomes, Theo Walcott and maybe Alex Iwobi together with Moise Kean. Then it’s possible Moshiri might well give the green light for four or five additions but I still don’t think Koulibaly is going to be one of them.