There are plenty of reasons for Everton fans to tune in this summer.
There may be no Wayne Rooney, Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane, Morgan Schneiderlin, Sandro Ramirez or Theo Walcott at the World Cup this summer, but that does not mean Everton fans should spend the summer killing off brain cells one at a time with the Love Island omnibus.
Here are five reasons why every blue on Merseyside should tune in to Russia’s very own festival of football.
Sardar Azmoun
The £27 million arrival of Cenk Tosun in January went some way to giving Everton’s toothless attack a bit of bite but there remains room at Goodison Park for one more striker. And one of the most prolific international goalscorers around, Sardar Azmoun, should count Everton among his growing list of suitors.
As reported by the Scottish Sun, the Rubin Kazan striker has been watched by The Toffees for quite some time and that should continue as he aims to add to a tally of 23 goals in 32 international caps.
Azmoun has a reputation as a big-game goalscorer, having netted Champions League strikes against both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid for FC Rostov, so Spain and Portugal should watch their back.
England’s midfield
Everton are one of the few clubs in the Premier League right now who can genuinely claim to have youth development right at the top of their list of priorities. Tom Davies and Beni Baningime have both established themselves in the first team after winning the U23 Premier League 2 title with David Unsworth and expect their progression to continue under Marco Silva next term.
And, should they continue to impress in Everton blue, don’t be surprised to see either Davies or Baningime catch Gareth Southgate’s eye. The England manager is renowned for his faith in youth from his time with the U23s and it just so happens that the centre of midfield is arguably the thinnest area of the Three Lions’ squad. Opportunity knocks, then.
England’s number one?
This summer could go a long way to showing whether Jordan Pickford is destined for the top or whether he will be another English goalkeeper, like Joe Hart, Paul Robinson or Rob Green, who never managed to reach the expected heights.
Pickford is expected to start between the sticks in Russia, seeing off competition from Jack Butland and Nick Pope, and will be desperate to avoid some of the tournament clangers that have haunted his predecessors.
The Sun state that Bayern Munich are planning to watch Pickford closely too – so the next few weeks could be the making of this former Sunderland glovesman.
Andre Carrillo
Marco Silva knows Andre Carrillo well. The jinking winger enjoyed the best season of his career under the current Toffees boss during the 2014/15 campaign at Sporting Lisbon, scoring seven goals in all competitions and establishing himself as one of South America’s most exciting attacking talents.
Carrillo’s career has plateaued somewhat since, however, even after following Silva to Watford last summer. But, should he stand out for the dark horses of Peru in an open group containing France, Denmark and Australia, don’t rule out Silva attempted another reunion with this enigmatic talent.
What could’ve been
It always felt inevitable that Diego Costa would return to Atletico Madrid after being hounded out of Chelsea by Antonio Conte. But that did not stop Everton from trying. Marca claimed that they launched a stunning £66 million bid for the outcasted striker on the final day of last summer’s transfer window – only for Costa to rock up in Madrid a few months later.
Now, Costa would have been the perfect player to fill the giant Romelu Lukaku shaped void in Everton’s frontline. And should he finally click at the tip of a star-studded Spanish attack, Costa can show the world why he’s one of the best around – and remind Everton that they missed out on what could have been their best striker of the Premier League era.
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