Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti will attempt to find the next Ross Barkley this summer, according to The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland via The Gwlad Tidings podcast (March 6th, 25:10).

What’s he said?

Ancelotti said earlier this week that the midfield “is an area where we need more energy”, suggesting that their transfer plans this summer will centre on the position.

And Boyland feels that a similar player to Barkley is needed.

The Chelsea playmaker left the Toffees in January of 2018 but he has endured an inconsistent time at Stamford Bridge, scoring just eight goals and providing eight assists in 71 games.

However, he was a game-changing force against Liverpool in the FA Cup in midweek, scoring against the Toffees’ Merseyside rivals in a 2-0 win, and Boyland feels that the dynamism he can show at his best is currently missing for Everton.

He said: “This week Carlo Ancelotti said Everton still lack energy and drive in the middle of the park.

“And you look at Ross Barkley when he’s on-song, when he’s playing like he did against Liverpool, that’s what they could do with from the centre of midfield at times.

“Just on a consistent basis. Just reading into that, that’s something Ancelotti feels is still missing from Ross Barkley’s days.

“They’ve brought in Sigurdsson who’s a very different player, maybe they’ve not replaced that within the Everton squad. Now they will look for something similar, not the same, in the summer.”

Call yourself an Everton expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Driving runs

Everton need a player who can drive at the opposition and carry the ball properly.

While they paired Tom Davies and Andre Gomes together against Manchester United, neither man offers the dynamic, attacking qualities that Barkley possesses; Davies is more of a terrier in midfield, while Gomes is a metronome.

Bringing in a player who can collect possession from deep and progress the ball, either with vertical passing, or with driving runs through the centre, has to become a priority.

At this stage, Everton are sorely lacking that kind of presence in the centre of the pitch.

Ancelotti is right to have identified the problem, now he needs to fix it.

The problem is, there aren’t many players of the profile of Barkley about, unless he can potentially convince the England international to make a dramatic return to Goodison Park…

Meanwhile, Ancelotti needs to finally unleash this man!