In a recent report, Calciomercato mentioned that Everton are eyeing a January move for AS Roma midfielder Gonzalo Villar. It is believed that the Toffees are thinking about making a move to land the Spanish midfielder who is not part of Jose Mourinho’s plans at Roma.
Villar’s Up And Down Season At Stadio Olimpico
The Murcia-born talent had a campaign of mixed emotions as he struggled to be productive with his contributions at the centre of Roma’s midfield but still managed to catch the eye every once in a while in Italian football. Villar took part in 47 matches for the Italian club last season, picking up one assist and ten yellow cards in the process across all fronts.
The 23-year-old impressed at times but struggled to prove his worth as a reliable anchorman in midfield after he averaged 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and 1.2 dribbles per game in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign. However, he was quite tidy when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half based on his pass success rate of 89.9% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Villar’s current deal with the Italian outfit runs out in the summer of 2024, so the Toffees would have to launch a sizable offer if they are to bring the player to Goodison Park when the transfer window reopens in January.
What Will Villar Bring To Goodison Park?
Villar has a good work rate and can pull off a few eye-catching runs with the ball from midfield. He is a good passer of the ball but needs to be more productive with his contributions in the final third. The Spanish midfield ace can make life difficult for the opposition by getting stuck in with a few tackles at the centre of the park.
At 23, Villar’s best years are ahead of him which makes him a good, long-term fit for the Toffees. Hence, Rafael Benitez would be wise to engineer a move to secure the signature of the talented midfielder during the winter transfer period.
Villar is good enough to increase competition for places within Everton’s match-day squad as he will keep the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Fabian Delph, Tom Davies, Allan and Andre Gomes on their toes in the race to secure a regular starting spot at Goodison Park in the coming seasons. We can expect Villar to bring some bite and steel to Benitez’s midfield if the Everton boss can find a way to bring him to the blue half of Merseyside in January.
