Everton have announced midfielder Tom Davies has undergone successful surgery on a hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old sustained the problem at the end of December, having been making his way back to full fitness following a knee issue. The Toffees said investigations revealed a “high-grade tendon injury that required surgical intervention”, with the procedure carried out in London on Tuesday.
Davies, who has scored one goal in seven appearances this season, will now return to Everton to continue his rehabilitation.
Everton were set to face Leicester in a rearranged fixture on Tuesday night.
However, that game was postponed for a second time after the Foxes successfully applied to the Premier League to have the match rearranged because of a depleted squad.
Some of the pressure on Rafael Benitez had been lifted following the FA Cup third round win at Hull, with Andros Townsend’s strike securing a 3-2 victory after extra-time.
Adama Traore, Dan James and five other wingers who mastered the art of flattering to deceive
Everton remain keen on Monaco star
Meanwhile, Everton remain interested in Monaco midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, who is conflicting his current club’s transfer plans, according to reports.
Golovin rose to prominence at the 2018 World Cup, when he helped Russia reach the quarter-finals. He earned a move to Monaco off the back of it, snubbing Chelsea in the process. But there may yet be a chance for the former CSKA Moscow man to end up in the Premier League.
Reports late in 2021 indicated that Golovin features on Everton’s shortlist of January targets. They have started the winter window productively with the arrivals of Vitaliy Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson. Yet there may be more on the agenda.
Rafael Benitez needs further reinforcements to prevent an alarming slide down the table continuing. As such, a deal for Golovin remains of interest.
According to Championat, Everton are keeping a close eye on the 25-year-old, who is mutually an admirer of Benitez.
Therefore, all the ingredients are there for a transfer to happen – apart from anything from Monaco’s side.
The Ligue 1 outfit want to keep Golovin and value him upwards of €40m (£33.35m). In their best-case scenario, they could even command €50m (£41.69m) for his signature.
But Golovin is not happy with their stance. He feels he has finished with his time in Monaco and is ready for the next step in his career.
Before he can take it, though, he must wait for Everton to make an official offer to Monaco.
West Ham pose threat for Golovin
And they are not his only admirers, with the report also confirming West Ham are in the hunt for the attacking midfielder.
After missing out on the permanent signature of loanee Jesse Lingard last year, the Hammers are still hoping to find someone to fill the void. Nikola Vlasic, who effectively replaced Golovin at CSKA in 2018, joined in the summer but is yet to hit the heights.
Another arrival may be beneficial as West Ham make a push for the European places again.
Therefore, they have their eyes on Golovin again, who is a long-term target from last year too. But they are in a battle with Everton, and either would still have to convince Monaco.
READ MORE: Everton close in on £15m Aston Villa raid as footnote to Lucas Digne deal
