Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly desperate for Everton to bring Ciro Immobile to the Premier League from Serie A title-chasers Lazio.
How on earth will history look back on Ciro Immobile?
On one hand, this is a man who’s reputation will always be tainted by those disastrous spells at Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, while never truly convincing throughout six years as Italy’s first-choice number nine. On the other, however, Immobile has claimed Serie A’s Golden Boot award twice, scoring more than 20 goals in four separate campaigns in Italy’s top flight.
And, if 2019/20 can be resumed at long last, this most divisive of 30-year-old hitmen could end the season with a place in the history books. With 27 scored in 26 league games, he is closing in on Gonzalo Higuain’s all-time record of 36 goals in a single campaign.
His free-flowing Lazio side, meanwhile, are just a point behind perennial champions Juventus and dreaming of glory for the first time in two decades.
So, with Immobile scoring goals at a rate most players in world football can only dream of, it is little wonder that Carlo Ancelotti has made him Everton’s number one summer target. TEAMtalk claims that The Toffees will even offer Moise Kean in exchange in an attempt to barter down his £43 million price-tag.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin might have gone from strength to strength in recent months, adding a much needed clinical streak to his all-round skill set, but Immobile is on a different level right now – not just to Everton’s rising star but to almost everyone on the continent.
As Marca points out, Immobile’s tally of 30 in 33 games across all competitions means he averages a hugely impressive 0.9 goals-per-game. That is a record superior to Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Mo Salah, Harry Kane and many, many more.
In fact, only Robert Lewandowski and the boy wonder Erling Braut Haaland can boost a superior record.
Immobile might not go down in history as one of the greats of the modern era but, for this season at least, he has been nigh-on untouchable.
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