Loads of Everton fans have been reacting on social media to reports by The Sun, claiming that Carlo Ancelotti has told Gylfi Sigurdsson he will be sold in January.
The report comes after we were humiliated at Anfield by Liverpool in the FA Cup, with a performance that left boss Ancelotti feeling a mass overhaul of the first-team squad is needed during his first window at the helm.
Ancelotti has questioned the attitude of some of the players during an angry dressing room rant, but has already lost patience with others – with Sigurdsson, Theo Walcott, Morgan Schneiderlin, Cenk Tosun and potentially Michael Keane all at risk of the chop.
Should the club sell Sigurdsson this month?
Yes
No
Sigurdsson is expected to be the most likely departure in the winter market – if a buyer can be found – after Ancelotti instructed club chiefs to sound out interest, though may be joined in heading out of the exit door by England number one Jordan Pickford.
Ancelotti is said to have instructed Director of Football Marcel Brands to find him a goalkeeper that can rival Pickford after a season full of ups and downs for the ex-Sunderland man, while youth star Anthony Gordon is in line for a first-team promotion when we host Brighton on Saturday.
Selling Sigurdsson would mark the end of a two-and-a-half-year spell at Goodison Park for the £100,000-per-week midfielder, who we signed for a then-club-record £45million but is now only valued at £25.2m.
Sigurdsson has started 17 of our 21 Premier League games this season while featuring from the bench in a further three, and has scored just one top-flight goal, penned one assist and worn the captain’s armband on four occasions.
The Iceland international was often a star of the show under Marco Silva last term, despite a shaky start to 2019, with the 30-year-old ending the league campaign as our joint-top ‘scorer with 13 goals and leading creator with six assists.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to claims that Ancelotti has told Sigurdsson that his services are up for sale…
No one will go anywhere near him
— RICH (@currill1878) January 8, 2020
Feel like he needs to be “bigged” up so people may want him…a greatest hits video could help, but may be only a selection of shots and occasional free kicks. I’m sure a minute would do it. We could pad the minute out with a few Icelandic statistics.
— father_of_scamps (@tomedsmith) January 8, 2020
West Ham will have him they want every player we go for lately
— John (@JohnButlerEFC) January 8, 2020
Not surprised really. Could never understand us signing him £46m waste. Others to be jettisoned in Jan as well I hope
— Elwyn Gwilym (@ElwynGwilym) January 8, 2020
Let the exodus begin 🤞👍
— Giant Stu (@GiantStu) January 8, 2020
Finallyyyyy pic.twitter.com/KDpAYhCC9R
— Danny Skelton (@DannySkelton15) January 8, 2020
Did you put that 2 in by mistake? 🤣
— Declan (@trueblue265) January 8, 2020
To who?
— Everton Premier League stats (@EvertonLeague) January 8, 2020
He’s been under performing for the last couple of seasons. Time to go
— Andy Campbell 🔶 (@AndyCam68124104) January 8, 2020
Can only sell players that other teams want
— Colin Foster (@colin769) January 8, 2020
In other Everton news, the club have sounded out the chances of signing a £40.5m-rated striker, who’s scored 21 goals in 22 games this season.