Carlo Ancelotti is plotting a swoop on former side SSC Napoli to make midfielder Piotr Zielinski his first signing in charge of Everton, according to Milan News 24.
Ancelotti is expected to have funds made available to him once in charge of the club, with reports suggesting the 60-year-old has agreed an £11.5million-per-year contract to succeed Marco Silva.
Our January budget is stated to be ‘decent’ in order to appease whatever targets the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich head coach desires.
Zielinski is believed to be one of the players that Ancelotti would be keen on targeting in the transfer market next month, having worked with the midfielder throughout his 18-month tenure in charge of Napoli.
Zabkowice Slaskie-born Zielinski was a mainstay of the Italian’s plans at the San Paolo Stadium prior to his sacking on December 10, with the 25-year-old named in 88% of Ancelotti’s Serie A starting line-ups this term.
The 51-cap Poland star also featured in all bar one of Napoli’s Champions League Group Stage ties, as they ended the round as runners-up to Liverpool in Group E.
Ancelotti faces an injury-ravished midfield at Goodison Park once he takes charge of the club from caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson – expected to be after Saturday’s match at home to Arsenal – with several players nursing injuries.
Ferguson was forced to draft centre-back Mason Holgate into midfield against Manchester United last weekend with Gylfi Sigurdsson forced to miss out through illness, while Fabian Delph (muscle), Morgan Schneiderlin (calf), Andre Gomes (ankle) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (quadriceps) are all in the physio’s room at Finch Farm.
Would you sign Zielinski?
Yes
No
Zielinski would not offer a goal-scoring option to Ancelotti if a move was made for the £36million-rated ace, as the 5 ft 10 midfielder has scored just 21 times in 164 games for Napoli in all competitions since his arrival from Udinese Calcio in 2016.
What the 25-year-old would offer us, though, is a midfielder who is averaging 1.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.0 blocks, 1.1 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per 90 minutes in the Serie A this season, plus 2.6 shots and 1.3 successful aerial duels, per WhoScored data.
In other Everton news, an €18m outcast has been put forward as a potential player of interest for Carlo Ancelotti in the January window.