Why Everton should let go of Gylfi Sigurdsson this summer

According to Football Insider (h/t Wales Online), Everton may offload Gylfi Sigurdsson for a cut-price deal in the summer transfer window.

The attacking midfielder joined the Toffees from Swansea for a club-record fee of £45m back in 2017. However, the Iceland international has failed up to live up to his hefty price tag.

30-year-old Sigurdsson, who is a veteran of 273 Premier League games had earned himself a move to Goodison Park in 2017 after a brilliant season for Swansea, during which he produced a return of 9 goals and 13 assists, forcing Everton to sign a deal for him the following summer.

However, he took time to adjust in his first season with the Toffees. This was because he was deployed in the left flank by then-boss Ronald Koeman. Despite all that, Sigurdsson who mostly plays as a creative midfielder, scored four goals and gave three assists, giving a fair idea of his capabilities in the final third.

He, however, thrived under new boss Marco Silva in his preferred attacking midfield role, emerging their best player in the 2018/19 season. He scored a massive 13 goals that season, finishing as the Toffees’ top goal scorer in the league.

His excellent passing skills were also out in the open after he turned to be his side’s top assist giver in the league with six to his credit. However, this season has seen an entire contrasting display from the seasoned playmaker, who has so far managed just a single goal and two assists from 26 league games.

Since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival, Sigurdsson has been pushed into a deeper midfield role. This hasn’t allowed him to perform at his best level. And, with Everton under-performing in the league this season, Ancelotti should plan on bringing in new faces and build a squad in his own image this summer.

This would see Sigurdsson falling down the pecking order of things at Goodison Park. Moreover, he will be 31 in a few months and age seems to be taking a toll on the Icelandic international.

Also, the likes of Andre Gomes and Tom Davies are establishing themselves in the team. Due to this, Sigurdsson’s chances would get even more limited in the coming days.

Hence, it would be better for Everton to offload this once star playmaker than hold on to him unnecessarily. Moreover, Everton can make use of that money to improve other areas of the side that need clear reinforcements.

Read more:

• Everton could do well with Jesus Corona in their attack – Here’s why
• Why signing Jesse Lingard will give Everton some depth in attack
• Why Bernard could still be useful for Everton next season

Verdict

Sigurdsson is already into his thirties and his game has started to show signs of ageing. Moreover, his form has been on a decline this season. This would be a major issue for the Toffees if they wish to improve their displays next term. Hence, they would be better off cashing in on him this summer and reinvest the funds into strengthening the squad.