According to The Telegraph, Everton want to reward Mason Holgate with a new contract after putting in some fine displays under recently-appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti.
What’s the word?
The 23-year-old has struggled to really establish himself as a key part of the Everton first-team since making the move from Barnsley back in August 2015, registering just 70 appearances across all competitions.
He has played a far more prominent role this year however, playing and completing the full 90 minutes in the Toffees’ last 16 Premier League games. And under Ancelotti in particular, the defender has really impressed, registering an average match rating of over seven in four out of the seven games in the top-flight.
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With his current deal expiring in the summer of 2022, The Telegraph claim Everton know it is the “right time” to start negotiations with his representatives over signing a potential new deal.
Smart move
Still only 23, Holgate still has plenty of years left before he should hit his prime, and so it makes no surprise the club are looking to extend his contract.
Upon his signing back in 2015, then Everton manager Roberto Martinez remarked: “With Mason, an opportunity came up and we didn’t want to lose out. He is a young man with an impressive future. His development is going to be important and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can have an impact on the first team.”
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Whilst he may not have kicked on as quickly as some may have expected with just the 70 games in more than four years at the club, working under someone like Ancelotti could be the key to really establishing him as a top defender. The Italian manager has worked with the likes of Sergio Ramos and Kalidou Koulibaly in his time with both Real Madrid and Napoli respectively, so he could certainly help Holgate grow a lot more over the coming months.
Meanwhile, this Everton player has received glowing endorsements from Steven Pressley.