The Dutchman claimed recently that he would be keen on moving to Everton and Middlesbrough appear to have given The Toffees a boost.
Its lucky Marten De Roon is such a popular figure at The Riverside. Because most players would not have got off so lightly after publically admitting that they have their sights set on a move up the footballing ladder.
The Dutchman, nicknamed the Beast of Bergamo for his tigerish performances in the Atalanta midfield, has stood out amongst Middlesbrough’s vast array of big name signings in the summer, proving that the £12 million they spent to bring him to England has been worth every penny, The Sun reports.
However, with the man who sanctioned his signing, Aitor Karanka, given the boot by Middlesbrough and the club mired in the relegation zone, his stay in the North East could be a short one – and there’s one club the hard-working midfielder has already identified as a potential destination.
“I am incredibly lucky – I play for a good club and live in a nice area – but I am ambitious as well,” De Roon said last month in quotes reported by The Sun.
“I won’t get to play for Manchester City, or another club among the top five in England, but I do think that I can develop myself to the level needed to play for a club like Everton.
“There is a mighty atmosphere at Goodison Park.”
Cynics will argue that The Toffees, with Idrissa Gana Gueye, Tom Davies, Morgan Schneiderlin and Gareth Barry all fighting it out for a spot in central midfield, hardly need to add another combative midfielder to their ranks.
Yet if Ronald Koeman took De Roon’s claims with more than a pinch of salt, any hopes he may have harboured of snapping up his compatriot at the start of the season may have been given a boost with Karanka’s departure and the possibility of an immediate return to the Championship for the North East club.
De Roon enjoyed a good relationship with the Spaniard, whose deep-lying gameplan had helped get the best out of a defensive midfielder who stood out in Serie A last season. However, he has also demonstrated the ability to push forward in the final third, a characteristic that means he wouldn’t look out of place at Everton.
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