Everton were largely expected to make a storming approach to the summer transfer window with supposedly a £100m kitty handed to new manager Ronald Koeman but with the Premier League all set to kick off this weekend, Everton are surprisingly yet to make any major signing apart from Idrissa Gueye and Maarten Stekelenburg. The Toffees’ squad clearly needs bolstering and Koeman is likely to be active until the very last day of the window.
As reported by Sky Sports, Everton have made an enquiry for Dinamo Zagreb wonderkid Ante Coric along with Spurs. The 19-year-old has attracted almost every top European club in recent time thanks to sensational displays for the Croatian giants. Croatia has been producing some exceptional talents like Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, Mario Mandzukic et al in the last decade and Coric is the latest player to enter the fray.
Coric has been often compared to his compatriot Luka Modric, who is right now one of the best midfielders in the world. The benchmark set for the youngster is extremely high and he has to choose his next club carefully. A move to Everton makes sense due to the fact that there will be whole new setup at Goodison Park this season under a new manager and the Croatian prodigy could become a key player for the Toffees for plenty of years to follow.
Coric burst onto the scene with Dinamo for more than two years now and he is pretty much a regular name on the teamsheet for the Croatian giants. He is now at a point in his career where he needs to look for bigger and better challenges and make his mark in Europe. At Everton, he will have the opportunity to play almost every game in his favoured number ten role and he will benefit from the experience of playing in the most competitive league in the world i.e. the Premier League.
Coric is much ahead of his age in terms of the composure and maturity he is blessed with. With 85 first-team appearances for Dinamo already in his locker, Coric has plenty of experience for someone who is just 19. A classic number ten, the youngster has a brilliant range of passing, quick feet and sensational dribbling ability.
Ante Coric is similar in style to players like David Silva and Christian Eriksen. Everton do have a quality playmaker in Ross Barkley but the Englishman is well capable of plying his trade on the flanks or even as a number eight. So, it won’t be hard for Coric to nail a first team place.
Moving for a player like Coric, who has attracted almost every elite European club, will be a major statement of intent from Ronald Koeman’s Everton.
