According to Football Insider, Everton are resigned to taking a big hit on Gylfi Sigurdsson this summer. The 30-year-old has struggled for consistency over the course of the campaign and may be one of many players offloaded as Carlo Ancelotti looks to build a squad capable of a top-four finish next season.
Football Insider say the Toffees could make back only 50% of what they paid for Sigurdsson in 2017, as transfers have crashed due to the Covid-19 pandemic – finances are being eaten away because clubs aren’t making matchday revenue while football has been put on hold.
Everton paid £45m for Sigurdsson three years ago but may sell him for £20m this summer. The Iceland international earns £5.2m-a-year/£100k-per-week at Goodison Park too. Sigurdsson’s contract is up in 2022, but it’s hard to see the midfielder lasting another two years as he’s unlikely to be a regular next season.
Ancelotti is trying to sign a midfielder to accompany Andre Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Fabian Delph, Morgan Schneiderlin and Tom Davies, with Everton being linked with John McGinn, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Morgan Sanson. The Toffees are also in the market for playmakers, with Jesse Lingard and James Rodriguez on their radar.
Sigurdsson has made 103 appearances in all competitions in his three years at Everton, scoring (22) and creating (14) 36 goals. Before the season was postponed, however, he only managed to score just once in 26 Premier League games and had just two assists to his name, as per Transfermarkt.
That’s not the output a £45m player earning £5.2m-a-year should be producing, so it’s not surprising Ancelotti wants to be rid of him.