Why Everton should not hold onto Moise Keane amidst Roma interest
According to Il Messaggero (h/t Sky Sports), Serie A side AS Roma are trying to bring Everton striker Moise Kean back to Italy in the summer.
Italian youngster Kean just arrived at Goodison Park last summer for an initial £29m under Marco Silva, however, he has endured a dry spell in his maiden season in England. The 20-year-old finisher has managed just one goal despite making 27 appearances across all competitions for the Toffees.
Kean had been sensational in the season prior, racking up 7 goals from 17 appearances for his former side Juventus. His eye-catching displays at the Turin-based club saw him earn a move to Everton, where he has failed to establish himself until now.
Of his 23 league appearances this season, 17 of them have come from the bench, giving a clear picture of the young finisher’s plight since moving to England. The Italian forward who prefers to play in the centre-forward role had also been used mostly across the flanks by Everton’s previous boss Marco Silva, which saw the youngster struggle to make an impact.
Also, the sudden rise of Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the side’s first-choice striker has put the Italian behind the pecking order at Everton. Calvert-Lewin is a crowd favourite and currently Everton’s top scorer in the league with 13 goals to his name.
Following him closely is another striker, Richarlison, with 10 goals to his name. He is a raw talent and a sure starter considering his displays in the past few seasons. Apart from these two, Everton have two more strikers in Cenk Tosun and Oumar Niasse.
Though Kean falls above Tosun and Niasse in the Everton ranks, this does not avoid the fact that they have as many as five forwards in the mix. Thus, the underperforming Kean looks surplus to Everton’s requirements at the moment.
Meanwhile, Italian side Roma are on the lookout for a new striker with their star forward and veteran Edin Dzeko about to turn 34 this July. There is no doubt that Dzeko still remains one of the deadliest finishers around, however, he is way past his prime.
Also, Roma need to find a future replacement for the former Manchester City striker, who has been sensational upfront for the Paulo Fonseca-led side. Roma also have a back-up striker in Nikola Kalinic but Croatian is expected to return to his parent club Atletico Madrid when this season ends.
That said, Roma’s pursuit of young Kean makes complete sense and Everton would be better off selling him as he would fetch them a good price now, given he is young and is showing promise.
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Verdict
Everton have two consistent goal-scorers in Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. The two have so far been Toffees best performers and are sure to retain their place next season. Considering that, it would be wise of Everton to sell the out-of-form Kean for a good bargain and use that money to improve areas that need new reinforcements.
