Middlesbrough are being linked with a move for Everton’s defensive midfielder Muhamed Besic or Mo Besic in short. The Bosnia international arrived in Merseyside back in 2014. The versatile player can also play as a centre back or a right back. However, he has just been given 555 minutes of football and made only nine appearances for the club and is clearly surplus to requirements at the club.
When Farhad Moshiri and his Everton board backed Ronald Koeman to bring in an arsenal of summer signings that saw the club spend a net amount close to £145 million, everybody expected the Toffees to join the elite sides in the English Premier League. Despite spending so heavily, they have failed to score regularly and the side was once threatened by relegation.
Tipped by many to challenge the ‘top six’, the Toffees were expected to fight for a European spot this time. Currently, Everton are fighting a battle of rejuvenation after having been to hell and back in the early few months of the season. The club has in no way been able to throw any challenge to the top six in the first round of the Premier League. Their Thursday night outings in the Europa League were in sync with their disappointing domestic form with the Toffees claiming one win in six matches and ending their group stage second from bottom.
As their form slumped down through a never-ending spiral, it saw the hammer fall on their ex-boss Ronald Koeman. Koeman’s sacking did little to change the club’s fortunes as they became the league’s bashing boys. However, as the fans and pundits stood to wait for Everton to disappear into the lower leagues, the board appointed Sam Allardyce as the new manager.
Big Sam has a history of turning around fortunes for a club in crisis. The former England manager has become a specialist of sorts in the league when it comes to saving teams from relegation having done it with Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the previous two seasons.
Goodison Park has changed from a depressing arena of uncertainty to a place of tentative hope. A month back, Everton were the bogey side teams were craving to face. In the space of a few weeks, the scenario at Merseyside looks to be lifting. However, one player whose luck has not changed despite a change in manager is Mo Besic.
Middlesbrough, on the other hand, are not having the best of seasons in the Championship and are fighting hard to make it to the playoffs. Adding a versatile player of Besic’s calibre to a team whose primary focus is on defending will certainly aid their cause. Moreover, for Everton, having him sent on loan might rejuvenate his career, thus helping Everton in the long run.
