Carlo Ancelotti must boot Nathan Broadhead out of Goodison Park for the last time when his Everton contract expires this summer.
What’s the word?
According to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees are expected to release Broadhead on a free transfer once his terms lapse in June.
The 23-year-old has been training with Ancelotti’s first-team fold and has featured on the bench this season, but has seemingly failed to earn new terms.
Should Everton retain Nathan Broadhead?
Yes, he has real potential
No, he isn’t good enough
Ancelotti has listed the former Wales youth international among his backup options for five Premier League fixtures to date, plus March’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
But his last senior minutes came in December 2017, when handed his debut and sole first-team appearance as an 82nd-minute substitute against Apollon Limassol during a Europa League Group Stage tie.
Broadhead is now one of 13 senior and Under 23 players facing the end of their spells at Goodison Park, as Director of football Marcel Brands continues his efforts driving down an inflated wage bill.
Brands is also working on lowering the age of David Unsworth’s U23s, for whom Broadhead has featured 14 times this season – scoring eight goals, providing two assists and captaining the side twice – in the Premier League 2.
Everton’s U23s are noted to have boasted an average age of 21 on the opening day of the 2020/21 season, but have reduced that number to just over 19 for their last junior game.
Should Everton retain Broadhead?
Broadhead has been on the books at Goodison Park for a number of years, having joined Everton in his youth following spells with local side Bangor City and Wrexham AFC.
Brands cannot show any sentimentality to the forward, however, as the 18-cap Wales U21 international will not merit another contract having seemingly failed to impress Ancelotti while working closely with the Italian this term.
Ancelotti would likely have awarded the 23-year-old his second Everton outing – and first in more than three years – during one of his appearances on the bench if he felt confident in the potential impact Broadhead could provide.
That is clearly not the case and was often fictitious during a loan spell with Burton Albion in League One during the 2019/20 season, when the forward offered two goals and two assists over 19 third-tier fixtures.
Each of his goals also came during the second of Broadhead’s league outings under Nigel Clough, who had lauded the Toffees’ 2018/19 U23 Player of the Season as “an exciting signing” for the Brewers.
But as the Toffees have not seen Broadhead emerge as an exciting first-team player under Ancelotti since his return last summer – or under the managers that went before the Italian – this summer must mark the end for his spell in royal blue, as he’s clearly unfit for Everton.
But with no first-team appearances in over three years since his debut in December 2017, it’s time for the Toffees boss to offload the 23-year-old outcast this summer.
AND in other news, Everton have eyes on a “very good” £3.5m-rated forward available on a free transfer…