Everton could face a battle to keep hold of key midfielder Allan over the coming months after he was linked with a move to Italian giants Juventus.

What's the story?

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is eyeing a move for the tough-tackling 30-year-old as he aims to overhaul his engine room in Turin.

According to the report, Allegri is keen on bringing in proven Serie A talent who will take no time to adapt to the demands of the league, and as a result, has identified Allan as a possible target.

“Allegri asked for a footballer whom they know very well from Napoli because he played some excellent football years in Campania: I refer to Allan," said reliable journalist Fabio Santini via Area Napoli (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO).

“As a partial counterpart, (Aaron) Ramsey could instead end up in England.”

Everton fans will be gutted

Allan enjoyed five successful years in Naples before arriving on Merseyside in the summer of 2020, making 212 appearances in all competitions for the Azzurri, winning the Italian Cup along the way.

He soon established himself as a fans favourite at Goodison Park due to his full-blooded displays at the base of the Everton midfield, and his departure would leave the club's supporters feeling gutted.

The Brazil international's complete displays in the centre of pitch helped bring stability to the Toffees play last term, and his underlying numbers illustrate the influence he had over their play.

As per WhoScored, Allan significantly outperformed his Everton teammates when it came to tackles, averaging a whopping 3.3 per Premier League game throughout 2020/21, with Lucas Digne's tally of 2.1 coming in second.

But the South American was also composed when in possession of the ball. Of his teammates that started three or more league fixtures, only centre-backs Yerry Mina and Michael Keane had a higher pass completion ratio than Allan's 85.6%, illustrating his ability both with and without the ball.

Therefore, losing the £19.8m-rated dynamo would be a big blow to Rafael Benitez's ambitions at Everton, and the Spaniard will surely be hoping to keep hold of his key man for the foreseeable future.

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