Report Denies Everton’s ‘Strong Interest’ In This Serie A Forward: Is Ancelotti Making The Right Call? | OneFootball

According to a recent report by Calciomercato, Everton are not keen on securing the services of Torino centre-forward Andrea Belotti this summer. Tuttosport had claimed earlier this month that the Toffees were the favourites to land the Italian striker and were planning a €60m offer to bring him to Goodison Park (transcripted by Sport Witness). However, those claims have been denied by Calciomercato as they state that the Merseyside club does not hold a strong interest in recruiting Belotti during the summer transfer period.

Belotti’s Remarkable Consistency At Torino This Season

The Calcinate-born striker has enjoyed a fruitful season for the Turin-based outfit after putting in a string of productive displays for them across all fronts. He has netted 15 goals and provided three assists in 31 appearances for the Italian club this term in all competitions which goes to show how prolific he has been in front of the opposition goal.

The 26-year-old has become a favourite among the Torino fans after averaging 2.7 shots, 1.1 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game in the Serie A this season (stats via whoscored). His outstanding contributions going forward had helped Moreno Longo’s team steer clear of the relegation zone before the football season came to an abrupt halt because of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Belotti has also made a name for himself while on international duty with the Italian national team, scoring nine goals in 27 matches under the stewardship of Roberto Mancini thus far. If he can maintain his high standards as a striker next season, then he could be selected in Mancini’s squad for the UEFA European Championship which has been rescheduled to kick off in the summer of 2021.

What Does The Italian Forward Bring To The Table?

Belotti can use his quickness to complete a few dangerous dribbles with the ball in the attacking third of the pitch. He can get into some promising positions in and around the opposition penalty area and has transformed himself into a lethal finisher up top. The 27-time Italy international usually packs a lot of venom with his shot attempts and has made a habit of winning his fair share of aerial duels against the opposition. He can use his incredible strength to outmuscle the opposition defenders but needs to improve his overall link-up play as evidenced by his unimpressive pass success rate of 68.1% in the Italian top-flight this season (stats via whoscored).

Is Ancelotti Making The Correct Decision By Not Opting To Sign Belotti This Summer?

A consistent goal-getter like Belotti would have not only added plenty of goals to Carlo Ancelotti’s frontline but also provided more competition for places within his squad. The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison can sometimes become a bit complacent if the other players do not push them for a place in the Everton first-team. Moreover, Moise Kean has been a big disappointment since his big move from Juventus last summer while Anthony Gordon is still too inexperienced to play at the highest level week in week out.

Ancelotti’s decision to not make a move for Belotti could come back to haunt the Italian manager in the future if he doesn’t sign a new forward this summer. Even though there are some question marks over the Torino skipper’s ability to cope with the high intensity of English football, yet he would have served as a perfect candidate to lead the charge for the Toffees down the middle.