The Toffees have scripted a significant upsurge under Carlo Ancelotti but are yet to challenge for a place in Europe. However, the hefty investment in rebuilding the squad is tipped to continue in the summer and according to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Everton might use Moise Kean in a swap deal to secure the services of their winter transfer target Cengiz Under.
Under rose to fame at AS Roma following a summer move from Başakşehir three years ago. He enjoyed a breakout season in Turkey before plying his trade to Rome and grabbed a regular status immediately down the right-hand flank to succeed Mohamed Salah who left for Liverpool.
While the youngster fired in a few goals in his first two seasons for I Giallorossi, the appointment of Paulo Fonseca as the new Roma boss jeopardised his first-team minutes significantly. A muscle injury ruled him out for a few weeks early in the campaign, and the Crescent-Stars international earned only nine league starts (stats via Transfermarket) this term before the suspension of the game in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Everton, meanwhile, failed to meet Roma’s £34m valuation for Under back in January. Yet they are ready to give it another shot in summer and have planned to include out-of-favour Kean in the deal to streamline the transfer talks. The 20-year-old Azzurri international secured a high-profile switch to Goodison Park from Juventus a year ago (for an initial fee of around £25.1m), but his time in Merseyside has been a nightmare so far amid both on and off the pitch incidents.
Nineteen of his 26 appearances have been as a substitute, and the promising centre-forward has found the net only once in all these months scoring against Newcastle United in an eventful 2-2 home draw on January 21st.
Why Everton Must Pursue The Cengiz Under Transfer
Having said that, the Toffees rate him highly for the promises shown in Juventus colours and are unlikely to part ways on permanent terms in the forthcoming future. Roma have expressed their interest in Kean, and Ancelotti has reportedly agreed to let him return to his homeland on loan with no obligation/option to buy the player.
The emergence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as well as the sharpness of Richarlison high up the pitch, have resolved their striker conundrum. In contrast, the arrival of Under would bolster them down the wide areas considering the inconsistency exhibited by veteran Theo Walcott and Bernard. On the other hand, a return to Italy should help Kean regain his confidence in front of goal and the deal, therefore, is a win-win for Everton if it materialises in due course.
