Everton have had a rather dismal season in the Premier League under Rafa Benitez with just five wins, four draws and nine defeats under their belt after 18 games played.

One figure that hasn't been a particular regular player for the Toffees in the league this season that has failed to impress on the occasions that he has played is midfielder Andre Gomes.

With just seven league appearances and two starts under his belt in this current campaign, Gomes has only managed to earn himself an overall performance rating of 6.2/10 from WhoScored, making him the lowest-rated Everton player to have started more than one league game.

Despite scoring a goal and putting in a respectable performance in their recent FA Cup win over Hull City at the weekend, one good outing against a Championship club may not be enough to convince the fans that he's good enough to continue in an Everton shirt, even though his current contract at Goodison Park isn't set to expire until the summer of 2024.

Having been linked with a move to Benfica during the previous summer transfer window, Gomes' days at Everton could be numbered if he doesn't fix up his form in the Premier League and help the team turn their fortunes around throughout the remainder of the season.

With the Goodison Park outfit reportedly interested in Manchester United's 20-year-old midfielder James Garner, who is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest and was part of the team that beat Arsenal in the FA Cup, this potential move could pave the way for Rafa Benitez to axe Gomes and replace him with a young prospect that could be a long-term figure for the Toffees.

Labelled as an "aggressive" player on the pitch by Red Devils midfielder Bruno Fernandes, Garner has proven himself to be more of a useful midfield option for Forest than Gomes has for Everton this season with the loanee racking up a higher average of passes per game and pass succession than the Portuguese international has managed to do in the Premier League according to WhoScored.

While it could be seen as a risk to sign the youngster when his loan deal at Forest ends in the summer given his small amount of experience in the Premier League, it could end up being a risk worth taking for Benitez if he can push Gomes out the door and hit the ground running at Goodison. Should that happen, then the Everton manager will have undoubtedly struck gold in the transfer market.

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