Gylfi Sigurdsson may have sold his own sale to Everton last month, with the Iceland international now potentially on the club’s summer transfer list.
What’s the word?
According to Football Insider, the Toffees are willing to listen to offers for Sigurdsson in the next transfer window as at least one key player is likely to leave Goodison Park.
Carlo Ancelotti and Director of Football Marcel Brands are thought to be planning a reshape of the ranks on Merseyside, with only eight players nailed on for a future in royal blue.
Prized assets Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are considered to be the Blues’ most valuable players, while Jordan Pickford, Lucas Digne, Ben Godfrey, Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez are all expected to be retained at all costs.
Sigurdsson has been a key player for Ancelotti throughout the Italian’s tenure at Goodison Park, starting 30 and featuring in 44 of his 47 Premier League games in charge while captaining the side on 12 occasions to date.
But the £100,000-per-week playmaker will enter the final year of his contract in the summer and as he turns 32 in September, Everton are willing to take a sizable hit on the £45m paid to Swansea City for his services in 2017.
Toffees chiefs do not feel Sigurdsson has lived up to his price tag with 23 goals and 16 assists in 126 top-flight appearances, of which four and four have come this season as a set-piece specialist.
Sigurdsson was touted to be on the move last summer as part of Ancelotti’s first attempt at a Goodison Park clear-out, but he remained on Merseyside and was backed to earn a new contract at the turn of the year after a strong vein of form.
Should Everton sell Sigurdsson?
Much can change between now and the end of the season, but Everton agreeing to sell Sigurdsson would remove one of Ancelotti’s most creative weapons, even if the end results have not always been there for the £16m-rated maestro.
Only Rodriguez (1.7) and Digne (1.4) have offered a higher average number of key passes per game in the Premier League this season than Sigurdsson (1.1), with the trio the only Toffees players currently creating more than one goalscoring opportunity each outing, per WhoScored.
And not only is Rodriguez performing at a higher standard than Sigurdsson, but the Colombian also appears to be the one Ancelotti covets the most with reports that the Italian is eying moves for Real Madrid duo Lucas Vazquez and Isco to keep the midfielder on board.
Bringing in either to convince Rodriguez to stay will offer added competition for Sigurdsson, who recently suggested that exceptions have to be made for the Blues pair to play together.
“I personally feel we can play in the same team, and I’m sure the manager thinks so too as we’ve played some games together. Obviously, we can’t play in the same position, so we’re going to have to work around that,” Sigurdsson told Sky Sports.
“He’s fantastic on the ball, technically very good, can see passes that no one else sees, and has got an eye for goal. We’re players that aren’t going to be playing out wide with much pace.”
Ancelotti and Brands can both use Sigurdsson’s comments as justification as to why his sale will make sense in the summer with Rodriguez the one more in favour, making his words a rather big mistake if the 31-year-old wishes to remain at Goodison Park for another season.
AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti can delight an unsettled Everton ace with a summer swoop for his £13.5m-rated ex-teammate…