Barcelona’s decision to send Gerard Deulofeu to Everton rather than a number of other high profile clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham, has raised a few eyebrows around the Premier League.
So why exactly were the Toffees chosen?
First and foremost, Barcelona were provided assurances by Everton manager Roberto Martinez that Deulofeu would be handed valuable first-team experience, something he would not be seeing if he spent this season with the Catalan giants.
Last year Deulofeu was the star of Barcelona’s B team, which competes in La Segunda, Spain’s second division. A creative, multi-tooled striker with vision, Deulofeu scored 18 goals, good for fourth highest total in the division.
And while he’s too good to hang around the B squad – some experts claim he is La Masia’s best product since Lionel Messi – Deulofeu is not ready to crack Tito Vilanova’s Starting XI, especially now that Neymar is in the mix.
But as it turns out, playing time isn’t the only reason Barcelona have decided to send Deulofeu to England. Apparently, the boy has a bit of an ego and the higher-ups at Camp Nou believe a stint on the blue side of Liverpool may be just the prescription to help the forward mature.
Deulofeu’s self-pride kicked in at an early age, as he made his television debut at age 9 before being dubbed ‘The New Ronaldinho’ by age 14. It was then that the English clubs began hovering around Deulofeu, constantly reminding him of his quality.
With his face splashed across newspapers and magazines, much of the talk was that the player who many experts claim is La Masia’s best product since Lionel Messi, would join the Argentine sensation in someday hoisting the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
The problem is that despite the humble teachings of Barcelona’s famed youth academy, Deulofeu prefers to go at it alone, taking on anywhere from 4-5 players at a time. Adding to the issue is that most of the time Deulofeu succeeds in his endeavors, scoring goals at will and celebrating with a knee drop and a double handed ‘shooter’ move that comes off as just a bit boastful.
While numerous stories of his ego float around the web, one reigns supreme.
In a recent match Deulofeu is said to have dribbled past an opponent returning past the beaten defender and asking him if he’d like his autograph. It’s that kind of behavior that won’t be tolerated in England but is guaranteed to be broken at a lunch pail football club like Everton.
Welcome to Goodison, young-blood.
