With just one win in their 11 previous Premier League games, Everton have not had a particularly successful season under Rafa Benitez so far this season.

Now that the January transfer window is close to opening, this could give Benitez a good opportunity to make some changes to his squad that he thinks would benefit the team as a whole, whether that be bringing new players in or getting rid of current ones.

One current Everton player that should be in consideration for a January exit is midfielder Andre Gomes.

Even though he's only made six appearances in the Premier League for the Toffees this season, Gomes has failed to show Benitez why he should be a regular figure for Everton, particularly in a defensive regard having been described as being reckless at the back in the past by Everton journalist Dave Prentice.

In those six appearances, the 28-year-old has only managed to rack up an average of 0.2 clearances and interceptions per game, an average of getting dribbled past 2.2 times per game as well as winning just 30% of his duels, which goes to show why Everton have conceded four goals in the two league games he's started this season.

His previous appearance for Everton in their 1-1 draw against Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge saw Gomes, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt, deliver a poor display that ultimately earned him an overall match rating of 5.8/10 from SofaScore, making him comfortably Everton's lowest-rated player on the day.

Gomes' overall performances this season have earned him a disappointing overall rating of 6.2/10 from WhoScored, making him the lowest-rated Everton player to have started more than one league game so far this season.

With all of this in mind and the fact that he has a significant injury record under his belt since arriving at Goodison Park from Barcelona back in 2018 on loan before signing on a permanent basis a year later in a deal worth a reported fee of £22m, it could be time to bring his time at Everton to a close.

If Benitez does axe Gomes in January, they will have to make sure they sign a new midfielder to replace him if they can.

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