Could Sead Kolasinac have been Everton’s missing link?

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Arsenal beat Premier League rivals Everton to the signing of Bosnian international left-back Sead Kolasinac when he left Bundesliga side Schalke.

Few people expected Nacho Monreal to begin 2018 with a glut of goals. The Spanish left-back is enjoying comfortably the most prolific Premier League season of his career and, after opening the scoring in Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Swansea City, he has now had a hand in four goals in two domestic fixtures.

As such, the chances of cult hero Sead Kolasinac forcing his way back into the XI appear slim. The Bosnian powerhouse enjoyed a superb start to life at Arsenal when joining on a free from Schalke but has found his chances limited so far.

17 Premier League starts means he is far from a forgotten man but Kolasinac has not featured from the off so far in 2018 and Monreal looks set to stay in Arsene Wenger’s first-team plans.

Everton, meanwhile, could only dream of having so many options at left-back. The Toffees continue to rely upon the wholly unconvincing right-sider Cuco Martina in the absence of Leighton Baines and the ongoing omission of Luke Garbutt.

And it is safe to say that, if Kolasinac had chosen Merseyside over North London, he would be the undisputed first choice right now.

According to the Guardian, Everton had entered advanced talks with the aggressive number 31 before Arsenal swooped in with a much bigger salary on the table.

There are no suggestions that Kolasinac is unhappy at the Emirates Stadium but, while he is a squad player under Wenger, he would have been one of the first names on Sam Allardyce’s team sheet.

If only Everton, a side not lacking in wealth these days, had offered Kolasinac a little more.