According to the Liverpool Echo, Yannick Bolasie has no future at Everton and will train with the U23s until a new club can be found. The 31-year-old has been busy on social media of late, expressing his excitement to play next season, but it doesn’t appear that he stands a chance of a reprieve.
What went wrong for Bolasie?
What went right for him? Bolasie struggled for fitness, form and playing time here, resulting in him falling down the pecking order and being loaned out to get first-team opportunities elsewhere.
The DR Congo international has made only 32 appearances in all competitions since joining us from Crystal Palace in 2016, scoring two goals with four assists. His last outing in an Everton shirt came all the way back in 2018.
Bolasie got his debut season off to a decent start (13 PL appearances, one goal, four assists) before rupturing his cruciate ligament in December 2016. He didn’t return until December 2017 but struggled to make an impact in the months that followed (17 PL appearances, one goal).
He was loaned out to Aston Villa (August 25, 2018 – January 21, 2019) and went on to make 21 appearances, scoring two goals with five assists, before his stay in the Midlands was cut short. Bolasie spent the rest of the season at RSC Anderlecht (January 31, 2019 – June 30, 2019) and fared better with six goals and three assists in 17 games.
The 31-year-old spent 2019/20 on loan at Sporting, scoring two goals and making five assists in 25 games across the board, but he didn’t do enough to earn a permanent deal. He’s now back on Merseyside and finds himself behind Richarlison, Bernard, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott in Carlo Ancelotti’s estimates.
Why Bolasie will be a hard player to sell
Bolasie has one year remaining on his deal and isn’t going to be in Ancelotti’s plans next season, so we need to cash in this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing in 2021. He may be a difficult player to sell, however, due to his lofty wage demands, low stock and high valuation.
We paid £26m for the DR Congo international who earns £3.9m-a-year/£75k-a-week, so he won’t come cheap for suitors. Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting all passed on Bolasie too, so he’s not exactly put himself in the shop window in the last two years.
Summary
Bolasie’s career is on the precipice. Our finances aren’t the healthiest so we want to make the maximum from his sale this summer. It remains to be seen whether clubs are willing to indulge as he won’t be cheap and has been inconsistent. Time will tell.
In other news, Everton’s former defender has found a new club