Reported Everton and West Ham target not given shirt number

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Reported Everton and West Ham United target Fernando Llorente has been denied a shirt number at Napoli as the Spaniard closes in on a move away from the Serie A giants, according to Napoli Piu.

While Oumar Niasse managed to cling on to his Everton career for four more years despite being stripped of his number 14 shirt by Ronald Koeman in 2016, the chances of Llorente doing the same look rather slim.

While Niasse had the appetite to prove himself in the reserves and out on loan away from Goodison Park, time is not exactly on the veteran Spaniard’s side.

At the age of 35, Llorente will not want to waste one of the final few years of his career stuck on the sidelines.

And, according to AreaNapoli, a man who scored goals for fun at Premier League level as Swansea City’s soaring target man could be offered a return to Britain, with Everton and West Ham looking to add some depth and experience to their front line.

If Gennaro Gattuso is not a fan, the man he replaced at the Stadio San Paolo certainly is.

“Llorente is here because he can be useful to us, he is an excellent striker,” now-Everton boss Ancelotti told Tuttomercatoweb.

“But there is the risk of confusing him (as a one-dimensional target man). Llorente, while being tall, is a footballer. He is one who is complete.”

Llorente was handed the number nine shirt at Napoli when he arrived from Tottenham last summer.

But, after just three Serie A starts in baby blue, the former Juventus and Athletic Bilbao poacher has been forced to hand the shirt over to new £70 million record signing Victor Osimhen.

Just to rub salt into the wounds, Llorente has not even been given a replacement.

The veteran front man was also left out of Napoli’s 23-man squad during the 2-0 opening day win at Parma on Sunday.