In a recent interview (via The Northern Echo), Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock shared that he is desperate to recruit Everton outcast Yannick Bolasie and West Bromwich Albion’s Kamil Grosicki as he said, “Absolutely, I’d have those two tomorrow.
“And a few others! They’re the type of players I think would benefit from coming with us.”
Bolasie’s Growing Struggles At Merseyside Recently
The Congolese attacker has endured a frustrating time since returning from his loan spell with Sporting CP earlier this year. The 31-year-old is surplus to requirements at Goodison Park and is in dire need to find an escape route out of Merseyside when the transfer window reopens in January.
Bolasie didn’t have the most impressive of seasons at the José Alvalade Stadium last term when he registered two goals and five assists in 25 appearances for the Portuguese giants in the previous campaign across all fronts.
The Lyon-born wing wizard deserves a pat on the back for averaging 1.8 shots, 0.6 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Liga NOS. However, he was far from convincing when distributing the ball in the opposition half as evident from his pass success rate of 73.9% in the Portuguese first division (stats via whoscored).
What Does The Congolese International Offer On The Field?
Bolasie boasts decent pace under his belt which he can use to complete some lung-bursting dribbles out on the wide areas. He excels at generating space for himself to get a few shots in on-target but doesn’t score or create nearly enough goals for his side.
Plus, frequent injuries have taken a toll on his body which is why he looks like a shadow for his former self these days. Therefore, one can’t help but wonder whether Bolasie could benefit from a switch to the EFL Championship where he might have better luck finding some consistency in the hopes of getting his career back on track.
Why The Toffees Need To Ship Bolasie Out Of Merseyside In January
Carlo Ancelotti has currently got enough depth in his attacking department, so he does not need to retain Bolasie’s services any longer. The likes of Richarlison, James Rodriguez, Bernard, Anthony Gordon and Alex Iwobi have all been preferred ahead of him this season. Hence, the Merseyside outfit should prioritise on letting the 35-time Congolese international leave if Middlesbrough come in for him this winter. At 31, he still has a few good years left in his locker to play at a high level which the Riverside club can benefit from in the coming seasons.
With less than a year remaining in his contract at Goodison Park, it’s high time that Everton parted ways with Bolasie so that both the player and the club can move on in search of greener pastures in the future.
