Everton have been linked with a potential transfer move for Atalanta right-back Raoul Bellanova as they seek to address a long-standing weakness in their squad. The 26-year-old Italian international could bring a new dimension to the Blues' defense, but questions remain over his adaptability to the Premier League.
Everton's Right-Back Search
Blues boss David Moyes admitted back in January that the club had been actively looking for a right-back for over a year. Since then, Nathan Patterson came close to joining Genoa on deadline day, while captain Seamus Coleman has ended his 17-year playing career at Everton. The need for a new option in that position has become urgent.
Paul Joyce of the Times has reported that Everton have considered the merits of Atalanta's Raoul Bellanova. Born in Rho, near Milan, on May 17, 2000, Bellanova began his youth career at AC Milan. He started his professional career in France with Bordeaux but made only one senior appearance before loan spells at Atalanta, Pescara, and Cagliari. Cagliari made his move permanent in 2022, but he joined Inter Milan on loan that summer. A €8 million move to Torino followed a year later, before he returned to Atalanta permanently for €25 million in August 2024.
Playing Style and Statistics
Bellanova won his first of six Italy caps shortly before returning to Bergamo. He has made 79 appearances over the past two seasons, scoring once. Atalanta typically deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, using Bellanova in an advanced wing-back role. Comparisonator's player profile rates him best as a 'playmaker back,' scoring 5.6 out of 10 in that category, compared to 5.3 as a wing-back, 3.9 as a two-way full-back, and just 1.8 as a defensive full-back.
Using Comparisonator's Virtual Transfer tool, Bellanova's Serie A statistics can be compared against Premier League right-backs. Physically, he covers only 6.485km per 90 minutes, less than all but two Premier League right-backs (Joel Veltman and Adam Smith). However, his top speed of 35.62km/h is second only to Jackson Tchatchoua's 35.98km/h. He also covers 108m per minute, bettered only by Timothy Castagne (116m) and Daniel Munoz (111m).
Attacking and Defensive Contributions
With Jake O'Brien, a natural centre-half, filling in at right-back recently, opponents have exploited his limitations. Bellanova offers a more attacking option. He averages 0.98 successful dribbles per 90 minutes in the final third, second only to Manchester United's Amad Diallo (1.8). He also ranks high in crosses (3.74 per 90) and successful crosses (1.52), behind only Tottenham's Pedro Porro. Defensively, he matches Liverpool's Curtis Jones for the highest percentage of successful defensive actions (73%). He also retains possession well, with only 6.48 ball losses per 90 minutes, fewer than all but Adam Smith (4.38) and Timothy Castagne (6.35).
Conclusion
At 26 and a full Italy international, Bellanova is at his peak. However, Atalanta paid over £21 million for him less than two years ago, suggesting a high transfer fee. There are also concerns about whether an Italian player in his prime can adapt to the Premier League, despite his promising statistics. Nonetheless, he could revolutionize Everton's right-back position.
*Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues worldwide. It compares players and clubs using 378 parameters. For more details, click here.
