Andrija Zivkovic would be a fantastic addition to Everton’s squad in January

According to Liverpool Echo, Everton are linked with Benfica’s Serbian international winger Andrija Zivkovic. The same sources claim that the Toffees might have to fend off interest from Arsenal who have also scouted him before.

The 22-year-old Serbian made his professional debut back in the 2012-13 season with his boyhood club Partizan Belgrade but he rose to prominence during the 2013-14 campaign where he signed his first professional contract and was made the youngest ever captain of the club at the age of 17.

Zivkovic won the Serbian SuperLiga in the 2014-15 season and the Serbian Cup the following term before shifting bases to Portugal with Benfica in 2016. He left Partizan Belgrade with an amazing goalscoring record for a winger, having scored 24 goals in 93 appearances for the Serbian outfit.

The Serbian ace struggled to make it regularly to the first-team in his debut season at Benfica but made a significant impact in the following season where he registered 3 goals and 4 assists from 21 appearances in the league.

However, he has struggled for regular minutes this term, playing only 78 minutes in the Primeira Liga across 5 substitute appearances. Quite clearly, he has fallen out of favour at his current club and a player of his calibre deserves to play a lot more at the highest level.

Zivkovic has already shown strong signs of excellence over the course of his fledgeling career at Partizan and Benfica. A dynamic and versatile attacker, the 22-year-old is capable of operating as an inverted winger down the right and also as a No.10 behind the striker.

He boasts of an excellent technique and is adept at combining his dribbling skills with his sudden burst of pace to beat the defenders down the flanks. Known for his creativity as an attacking midfielder, Zivkovic excels with his crisp passing and remarkable vision in the attacking third and can also add substance to the attack with his immaculate crossing from the wings.

Furthermore, he is known for his tenacity and hardworking nature and tends to track back to help out the defenders, something that would make him a good asset for Marco Silva’s system. The Serbian left-footed ace averaged 1.4 shots, 1.8 key passes, 1.7 dribbles, 1.3 crosses and 2 long balls per game last term in the Portuguese top flight, which speaks volumes of his all-around ability as a creative midfielder.

To put things into perspective, he would be a perfect signing for Everton in January. The Toffees sit 9th in the Premier League standings with 19 points from 12 games, which shows that they have struggled for consistency this term. They have a lot of positives to take from their performances so far but they will need to improve if they are to challenge the likes of Manchester United, Bournemouth and Watford for a place in Europe next season.

All six of Marco Silva’s signings in the summer have hit the ground running at Goodison Park, with Richarlison, Bernard, Andre Gomes and Lucas Digne making a significant impact.

However, Marco Silva has every reason to be disappointed with the lacklustre displays of Theo Walcott down the right flank. The former Arsenal man has found the net on a couple of occasions but has been largely underwhelmed with his overall contribution. At times, he has struggled to get involved in the proceedings and when he has got the chance to showcase his skills, he has squandered possession far too easily. To sum it up, his end product hasn’t been great.

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And that is exactly why someone like Zivkovic is such an exciting proposition for the Toffees. Not only would he provide cover and competition for Walcott down the right but his ability to play in a No.10 role can also prove to be a valuable asset to Silva’s team dynamics.

That said, Everton should not hesitate to splash the cash to land the Serbian ace in January as he is a player with a huge potential and ticks all the boxes to become a useful long-term servant at Goodison Park.