Napoli star Allan has been linked with a move to Everton in the upcoming transfer window.
Reliable Italian journalist Ciro Venerato has affirmed that discussions are in progress between Napoli and Everton. The 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder has been linked with a move to the Merseyside club for quite some time now and apparently Carlo Ancelotti is enthused about a reunion with Allan.
Allan has previously played under Ancelotti at Napoli and was a key member of the squad under him. Ancelotti needs somebody with his range of abilities at Everton now and it is nothing unexpected that he has gone to the 29-year-old. He is relied upon to cost around £35m and it will be intriguing to see whether Everton will shell this amount or not. Napoli are already making arrangements for a midfield without Allan and they have generated interest in replacing him with Dominik Szoboszlai or Jordan Veretout.
Allan rose to fame at Napoli under Carlo Ancelotti. He has been an important member of the squad since signing from Udinese in 2015. However, his contributions always went under the radar. He was something of an impetus under Sarri and improved other players. Most prominently, he helped Jorginho develop. His force was significant. While he was a great baller, his hard-working attitude, resoluteness and strength were all extremely valuable resources for Napoli. After Sarri and Jorginho’s departure, Allan started getting attention due to his exploits in the Champions League against PSG and Liverpool. So, if Everton pays Allan’s release clause, how will they lineup with him next season?
Ancelotti deployed a 4-4-2 formation at Everton in the 2019-20 season since joining. While the Toffees looked great under Ancelotti, there stays a ton of issues in the midfield. Players like Iwobi and Walcott have struggled on the left flank. Gylfi Sigurdsson offers a ton yet his movements during the transition from defence to attack are still questionable.
Andre Gomes was injured last season, however, he remains the only midfielder that can be trusted. Everton needs quality addition in the central midfield. This is where Allan comes to the rescue.
Allan can play in the midfield alongside a midfielder who likes to attack. Allan does the dirty work in the midfield and allows the other midfielder to move forward and create chances. In 2019-20 season, Allan played as a single pivot at times and struggled. Ancelotti’s 4-4-2 will bring out the best in him. He can start alongside Andre Gomes or Gylfi Sigurdsson in the central midfield. Sigurdsson is more of an attacking midfielder and Allan’s presence could help him get his mojo back.
Allan’s presence in the midfield would allow Sigurdsson/Gomes to stay up and help the attacking duo of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. Everton’s ball retention has decreased since Ancelotti’s arrival and Allan is the player who can win duels for the team and help the team in starting a counter-attack.
This is how the probable lineup would look like:
However, this may not be the only solution for Ancelotti if Allan arrives. But Allan’s arrival will provide options for Ancelotti because that’s what top players offer, options. The Italian manager will have the freedom to tweak his lineup related to the opponent. As Everton are in race to sign Hojbjerg, Ancelotti may also use 4-3-3 with Hojbjerg as number 6 and Allan & Gomes alongside him.
