Goodison Park looks to be scanning the Serie A market for dynamism out wide, and the name Raoul Bellanova has entered the conversation. GoalZaza under...
Goodison Park looks to be scanning the Serie A market for dynamism out wide, and the name Raoul Bellanova has entered the conversation. GoalZaza understands that the Atalanta wing back, a man who marries raw pace with a burgeoning tactical intelligence, is now on a list of full back options for the Toffees.Bellanova is not your typical Italian full back. He is a product of the modern game, a flying machine more at home in transitional play than in a deep defensive block. At Atalanta, Gian Piero Gasperini's system demands that his wide men become auxiliary attackers, marauding down the flanks with endless energy. The 24 year old has embraced that brief, showing a willingness to get to the byline and whip crosses into the mixer. For a side like Everton, who have often lacked that direct, vertical thrust from deep positions, he offers something genuinely different.Does Sean Dyche's system allow for such a free wheeling interpreter of the wing back role That is the million dollar question. Dyche demands defensive solidity, a low block when required, and a physical resilience that is the hallmark of his sides. Bellanova, however, is not a defender who will simply sit and absorb pressure. He is a player who needs the ball at his feet and space to attack. If Everton are serious about evolving their play, about offering a genuine threat from wide areas without sacrificing their shape, then this is a signing that makes profound sense. It would require tactical flexibility from the manager.What is clear is that Atalanta have a player of serious potential on their hands. He is not yet the finished article; his defensive positioning can occasionally be caught out, and his final ball can be erratic. But the raw materials are there. For a reported fee that would likely still be reasonable by Premier League standards, Everton could be securing a long term solution for a problem position. It is the kind of signing that gets the fans talking. It is a name that brings a frisson of excitement, a suggestion that the club is looking at the modern game, not just the gritty battles of the relegation zone. Let's see if they can get this one over the line before someone else snaps him up.
