Everton are joined by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in eyeing a move for Polish international striker Arkadiusz Milik in January, according to Calcio Mercato – but is Milik necessary to Ancelotti’s side?
Interest in the striker does not only extend to English sides. Italian giants Juventus have also been alerted to the player’s availability after the 26-year-old was a notable exclusion from Napoli’s Serie A and Champions League squads.
The Polish-born striker has less than a year left on his contract and is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club from January.
As a result of his contract situation, a transfer deal in January would be shrewd and relatively cheap move by the Toffee’s board – but they will face strong competition to bring the Polish striker to Merseyside.
It was previously believed that the player was willing to run down his Napoli contract and leave as a free agent, but it is now understood that the player is growing frustrated in Naples and will opt for an earlier move in the winter transfer window.
The former Ajax talent has an impressive record of firing goals home – he has scored 38 goals in 93 appearances. With almost a one-in-three ratio of scoring, Milik is nothing short of a potent goal threat. In an extra boost, Milik has worked under Ancelotti; the striker joined Napoli in 2016, playing under the Italian between 2018-19.
Despite possessing formidable attacking threats, Milik could further bolster an Everton side that boasts Richarlison, James Rodriguez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as attacking threats.
Richarlison has not been deployed as a striker by Ancelotti this season, leaving only Cenk Tosun as an out-and-out striking backup to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Turkish Toffee outcast Tosun was confirmed to have suffered an ACL injury, leaving him unavailable for a prolonged period. This leaves Calvert-Lewin without significant competition nor cover for his striking spot.
This fact only accentuates the benefits Milik could bring in a reunion with his former manager.
The striker evidently feels he is in good shape. Speaking to Sportowefakty.pl in October, Milik said: “Now, I’ll wait for the next transfer window and I hope the clubs can find an understanding. Physically I’m fine, I have trained well individually.
“I will play matches with the national side. In three months, my form won’t be affected too much.”
Milik could be one of the more notable pieces of winter business if the Toffees can land their man.
