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Go For It Koeman – This £22.5million Serie A Goal Scorer Will Turn Out To Be A Brilliant Signing For Everton

Nikola Kalinic

Why Nikola Kalinic Would Prove To Be A Very Good Signing For Everton

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Everton are plotting a £22.5million (€25 million) move for Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic, who plies his trade with Serie A side Fiorentina.

The Toffees have been in the market hunting for a new striker ever since they sold star man Romelu Lukaku to Premier League rivals Manchester United for a whopping £75million fee (BBC Sport). They have brought in young forward Sandro Ramirez from Malaga and also signed Wayne Rooney for free from United.

It is a hard task to replace someone of the quality of Lukaku, especially after last season, where he finished as the second-highest goal-getter in the Premier League, with 24 goals. Everton have been looking at a number of options to fill in for the big and burly Belgian. Arsenal duo Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck were linked with a move to the Goodison Park, while Celtic’s Moussa Dembele too was touted as a potential target.

Now, it is Kalinic’s name that the rumour mill has thrown at as ‘the player who could move to the Merseyside’. The 29-year old joined Fiorentina back in 2015 from Ukranian side Dnipro and has grown into a key player for the Italian side. Last season, Kalinic netted 20 goals and bagged 4 assists from 42 games in all competitions. A full international with the Croatian national team, Kalinic has represented his country on 35 occasions, scoring 14 goals.

The Croatian has had the experience of playing in the Premier League before, when he represented Blackburn Rovers 44 times between 2009 and 2011, but things did not go that well for him, as he managed just 7 goals and 3 assists in the English top-flight. However, he is a much improved and a more complete player now, than what he was back then.  

The 29-year old is tall, strong, is excellent in the air and is an accomplished finisher as well. Able to play with his back facing the goal by holding up the ball and bringing in his attacking partners into the game, Kalinic has proven himself to be a valuable player at the top. He might not possess the same pace that Lukaku would bring, but the Croatian is someone who will tick most boxes needed of a player to excel in England and will get goals for Everton.

With the Merseyside outfit participating in the UEFA Europa League as well, Kalinic’s experience and record in the competition will definitely hold Everton in a good stead. The striker has played a total of 41 games in the Europa League (2511 minutes), finding the back of the net on 15 occasions and has also chalked up 6 assists – meaning he is involved directly in a goal every 119 minutes, which is a very good record in Europe. 

At 29, Kalinic is in his best years and has years of top level experience on the European stages as well. He may not be cut from the same cloth as Lukaku, but he certainly has the ability to make a difference to Everton and would prove to be a very good signing.