Marco Silva isn’t rushing to get Nikola Vlasic back to Everton and says he’ll only consider using him in the first-team when the time is right. The 21-year-old is currently on loan at CSKA Moscow and has made 28 appearances (eight goals, seven assists) in all competitions since making the move last summer.
Silva told Croatian TV station SportKlub: “We wanted Nikola (Vlasic) to play as much as possible to demonstrate his best qualities. We are watching him very closely. When the right time comes, we will make a decision for him. I am pleased that he is playing regular football, that’s the reason why we sent him to Russia in the first place.”
Vlasic’s future at Goodison Park remains uncertain. He’s made 19 appearances for Everton since joining from Hadjuk Split in 2017, scoring and creating three goals. The attacking-midfielder’s last outing for Everton came against Southampton on May 5, 2018.
According to Sport Witness, Besiktas have shown interest in the Croatian international who has also admitted being open to staying at CSKA in the past, but where he’ll end up this summer is unknown. It hasn’t worked out for Vlasic at Everton, but Silva hasn’t closed the door on him yet.
Marcel Brands have made it clear that he wants to lower the average age and place focus on younger talent who can develop at Everton. Vlasic fits the bill perfectly and could be a long-term replacement for the likes of Theo Walcott and Kevin Mirallas. Time will tell as he has a lot of work to do to get himself back in favour.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
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