Alleged Everton target Kevin Strootman is living a controversial time at Roma. The club and media aren’t really agreeing on his recent form as the player tries to recover the ability he’s shown previously.
Roma manager Luciano Spalletti is quoted by Tuttosport sending much praise the way of the player: “Strootman is an exceptional player and a fantastic man in all respects. You just need to see the desire and emotion he puts into everyday training, not only in matches. He really is a team player who helps you to set the rhythm and is always ready come Sunday. If you are ready to play, you win; otherwise, you don’t know what the result will be.
“Players like Strootman help you feel ready because he goes about his business in the right way. He is a very reliable person, a top player that every team would like to have. Where do you think Strootman could go? Barcelona, Bayern Munich… Throw him in there and Strootman would be able to compete. He could play in any one of those teams, which says it all.”But Tuttosport just can’t agree with that. In the very same story, they take a few stats to show that the Ronald Koeman linked midfielder has been struggling in Roma’s midfield. They reckon he can’t defend, has been losing possession and has managed to shoot only twice this season.
It’s an article that should bring some mixed feelings for Everton. The first thing is that Spalletti really loves the player, so he wouldn’t make things easy for Koeman. On the other hand, given the midfielder’s form, is he worth a heavy investment? Koeman seems to be an old fan, but Strootman is splitting opinions.
Earlier this month, reports from Italy also suggested that Roma would be offering Strootman a new contract in order to prevent clubs from coming after him. That’s just another reason why Everton could stand still.
