According to a recent report by the Ecuadorian news outlet Ecuagol, Everton are interested in acquiring the services of Felipe Caicedo from Lazio. However, the same source has also claimed that the Toffees will face fierce competition from West Ham United and Newcastle United in pursuit of the Serie A centre-forward.
Caicedo’s Inconsistent Spell In Italian Football
Since joining from Espanyol in the summer of 2017, the 31-year-old has gone on to make 100 appearances for the Italian club while scoring 23 goals and providing 14 assists in the process. Even though Caicedo has been far from prolific during his time in Italy, the talented striker has managed to earn a wealth of experience of playing top-flight football over the past few years.
The Guayaquil-born striker has featured in 29 matches for Simone Inzaghi’s side this term, registering eight goals and five assists across all competitions. He has made some important contributions in the final third which has put his team in pole position in the Serie A title race. Lazio are currently sitting pretty at the top of the league table, with a narrow two-point lead over Juventus.
Caicedo has averaged 1.2 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game in the Italian top-flight this season (stats via whoscored). His numbers can be a bit misleading when considering the fact that he has completed the full 90 minutes in just one league match so far.
What Will The Ecuadorian Forward Add To Ancelotti’s Team?
Father time is catching up with the veteran forward as he has lost a yard of pace from his game over the past few seasons. However, Caicedo can still be a dominant presence up top as he can use his incredible strength to overpower the opposition defenders in the final third. He can also take up some dangerous positions inside the opponent’s penalty box and packs a lot of venom with his shot attempts.
However, the Ecuadorian striker can struggle to score goals regularly if he is not playing with confidence on the field, which will be a slight concern for the Toffees. At the same time, he will offer the Merseyside club more flexibility as far as their formation and tactics are concerned.
Should Ancelotti Make A Move For Caicedo?
Everton are in dire need of a consistent goal-getter so that they can bridge the gap to the Premier League’s Top 6 next season. Both Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have enjoyed a good run of form under Carlo Ancelotti’s stewardship. But there is no denying that fact that they had their fair share of struggles in terms of goal-scoring during Marco Silva’s managerial spell at Merseyside in the early stages of this campaign.
Ancelotti should only consider recruiting an experienced forward like Caicedo if he is only looking to bolster his squad depth. The Lazio marksman could prove to be a perfect impact substitute at Goodison Park. Otherwise, the Everton boss will be better off looking elsewhere as the Ecuadorian talent won’t be able to bang in the goals regularly at the highest level.
