Everton Outcast Is On The Radar Of Besiktas: Should Rafa Sanction His Departure?

In a recent report, Takvim has mentioned that Everton outcast Cenk Tosun is on the radar of Besiktas ahead of the January transfer window. It is understood that the Turkish club has identified the Toffees striker as one of their targets for this upcoming winter transfer period.

Tosun’s Recent Struggles With Injuries

Tosun is yet to make an appearance for the Merseyside outfit this season after missing a lot of games due to injury. The 30-year-old had an up and down loan spell at Besiktas in the second half of last season when he featured in only three matches for them, scoring three goals and grabbing one assist in all competitions.

The experienced centre-forward did well to average 3.3 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in the Turkish Super Lig. However, he needs to be more accurate with his link-up play after completing 74.3% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Turkish football (stats via whoscored).

Should Everton Sanction Tosun’s Departure?

Tosun can be a decent finisher in the final third when he is getting a regular run of games on the field. However, he has not been able to impress under Rafael Benitez‘s tutelage due to his recent injury which has kept him out of action for most of this calendar year.

Standing at 1.83m, Tosun can use his powerful frame to hold the ball up and get others involved in the attacking end of the field. He can even time his runs well behind the opponent’s backline but has failed to prove his worth in English football where he has struggled to find consistency thus far. At 30, Tosun has only got a handful of years left in him to prove his value at the top level.

With the Turkey international’s current contract at Goodison Park set to run out at the end of this campaign, it makes sense for the Toffees to sanction his departure in January for a cut-price fee. Otherwise, they will risk losing him for free next summer. Rafael Benitez would be better off moving Tosun on and using the small fee generated from his sale to bring in a younger forward, who would add value to the Merseyside club in the long run.