Ronald Koeman has done some serious work at the Goodison Park in his first season with Everton as they sit in the just three points off Arsenal in the sixth place, who are a couple of games behind (this article was written before Everton’s win over Leicester City). This summer will be important for the club as the manager will look to add infuse some quality into the first team to try and challenge for a place in the top-4 next season. But they are set to lose their top goalscorer Romelu Lukaku at the end of the season and the manager is already looking at alternatives to replace the Belgian.
According to reports from the Mirror, Everton have started to scout Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose extensively for a move this summer. The 25-year old Brazil star is one of the exciting prospects in the La Liga and is enjoying a productive season at the Anoeta Stadium and is watched by a number of English clubs including Newcastle United and Southampton. But Everton seems to be interested in Jose and are reportedly hoping that he would replace Lukaku at the Goodison Park in years to come. But does the La Liga star have what it takes to fill the shoes of the top goal scorer in the Premier League this season?
With 11 goals and three assists in all competitions for Sociedad this season, Jose has been in decent but this is the first season he has really gone on to hit his best form. Having previously spent an unproductive year as a trialist at the Bernabeu earlier in his career, Jose has always been considered as a potential star in Spain and his home country and Koeman is reportedly convinced that he could be the answer for their problems this summer.
A target man who can lead the attack of his side, Jose is a number 9 in the true sense of the position. He is a decent finisher who is reliable in the final third but his biggest strength is his hold up play, which allows runners from the midfield space in dangerous areas. He has decent vision and is capable of setting up his teammates on goal while is also capable of scoring the wonder goal once a while. He is disciplined, will put in the hard yards and is a player who can surely work his way to the top in the system at the Goodison Park.
Koeman is a fine manager who knows how to get the best of his players, as he showed in his stint at the St Marys and if he believes that Jose has what it takes to survive in the Premier League, he will be a success rather than a failure. The Spanish manager is adept at making his team play to the strength of their attackers and this might help Jose realise his potential.
However, having never played at the highest level outside Spain, it is hard to see him come in and do what Lukaku has done in the last couple of seasons at the Merseyside. Do you think Willian Jose is the solution to the Lukaku problem for Everton this summer?
