Why Everton should avoid signing Napoli forward Hirving Lozano

According to Corriere dello Sport via Inside Futbol (h/t Liverpool Echo), Everton are interested in signing Napoli forward Hirving Lozano.

Hirving Lozano, 24, signed for Napoli last summer under former manager Carlo Ancelotti but he has struggled to establish himself so far in Italy’s top-flight. The Mexican has managed two Serie A goals this season and registered just one assist in 15 appearances.

Despite his underwhelming start to life in Naples, the report (h/t Liverpool Echo) adds that the Toffees could consider him as a potential summer target.

Everton have made just one signing this month – the 17-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite. They have loaned out Cenk Tosun to Crystal Palace until the end of the season but are yet to bring in a replacement. Given the fact that the Merseysiders have struggled to score goals this season, having netted only 28 in 24 games, they need to find a solution.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the Toffees’ top-scorer with 10 league goals to his name, with Richarlison bagging 8 goals. Moise Kean arrived at Goodison Park from Juventus before the start of the season but he has scored only once so far. With the Royal Blues clearly lacking a proven goalscorer in their ranks, Ancelotti should attempt to recruit one.

Lozano enjoyed an amazing spell with PSV Eindhoven between 2017 and 2019. During that time, he hit 40 goals and supplied 23 assists in only 79 games in all competitions.

However, the Mexico international has struggled to live up to the lofty expectations of Stadio San Paolo, failing to transfer his Eredivisie form over to the Serie A. So far this term, he has three goals and two assists in 22 outings for the Italian outfit across all formats. While Lozano did score a lot of goals for PSV in the Netherlands, he is yet to shine in the Serie A, thus making him a risky option.

Verdict

Lozano is a talented player but he has failed to prove himself in the Serie A. Despite the fact that Ancelotti worked with the Mexican at Napoli, he must avoid taking a gamble on the forward. Thus, Everton must stay away from him and look for other alternatives to strengthen their attack.