Why Everton should reignite their interest in Davide Biraschi
According to a previous report from Italian outlet Calciomercato during the summer window, Everton were one of the clubs to have been credited with an interest in Genoa centre-back Davide Biraschi.
As per the report, the 25-year-old former Italian U21 international was targeted by the Toffees as a replacement for Chelsea loanee Kurt Zouma, while fellow Italian clubs Lazio and Atalanta were also in the race to snap up the defender for a bargain fee of €10million.
Director of Football Marcel Brands was keen to complete a deal for Davide Biraschi but the Toffees fell short in their pursuit of the Italian and the transfer window passed by without Everton bringing in any defensive reinforcements to cover for the departures of Phil Jagielka and Zouma.
Everton splashed the cash to bring in Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Fabian Delph in a bid to replace Idrissa Gana Gueye, who departed Goodison Park to join PSG, while Andre Gomes’ loan deal from Barcelona was also turned into a permanent one as the Toffees effectively recruited two new players to replace a single head.
Additionally, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi arrived from Juventus and Arsenal respectively to add more firepower to an attacking unit already consisting of Richarlison, Bernard, Theo Walcott and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Despite the crisis of a proven out-and-out centre-forward looming large, Everton opted against going for a bonafide goalscorer in the market and early signs suggest that they might be left to rue such a transfer blunder as the season wears on, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun not really firing on all cylinders.
Shifting the focus to the defensive scheme of things, it was always going to be a huge risk for the Toffees to embark on the ongoing campaign with only two proper centre-back options in Yerry Mina and Michael Keane after Jagielka and Zouma departed in the summer.
And if the first seven games are anything to go by, Everton’s failure to bring in a replacement for Jagielka and Zouma has already come back to bite them hard, with Marco Silva’s side conceding as many as 11 goals so far.
Keane and Mina have both let the team down on a regular basis with their poor sense of positioning and lapses in concentration. With the young Mason Holgate the only alternative to call upon, Everton’s defensive woes do not come as a big surprise.
While a proven goalscorer remains a top priority for Everton heading into the January window, Silva should look to bring in at least another centre-back to shore up his backline and increase the competition for places.
To that end, Everton reigniting their interest in Davide Biraschi could solve a nagging issue in a key area of the pitch for Silva and that, for a modest fee, given that Genoa were prepared to let him leave for €10million in the summer.
The 25-year-old is likely to be available within Everton’s budget and the Toffees certainly have enough reason to look at him a low-cost option to fix their woes at the back, especially after spending a fortune in the summer.
Biraschi, though not as highly rated as a few of his compatriots, is amongst the most improved defenders in the Serie A, having progressed by leaps and bounds at Genoa following his move from lower division outfit Avellino back in 2016.
The former Italian U21 international has established himself as one of the mainstays of Genoa’s backline over the past couple of seasons, making a total of 72 appearances across competitions. Biraschi has impressed with his tackling and game-reading abilities, while also illustrating good dribbling skills for a centre-back.
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The 25-year-old’s rapid improvement is indicative of the fact that he has already taken significant strides towards fulfilling his potential and to that end, one would expect him to enter his prime years as a defender within the next couple of seasons.
Suffice to say, Everton would work wonders by going back in the market for the Serie A star in January.