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Everton are reportedly interested in Torino centre-back Armando Izzo, but the once-capped Italian international has one major red flag.
What’s the story?
Well, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal and Everton are both eyeing a €25m (£22.39m) swoop for the 27 year-old.
Both sides are of course crying out for defensive help – Arsenal conceded 51 goals last season while Everton have lost Kurt Zouma and Phil Jagielka this summer already.
The report claims that Torino are keen to extend Izzo’s current contract, which runs until 2022.
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How good is he?
Izzo started in Napoli’s youth academy and has since bounced around various Italian clubs, finally finding his feet in Turin.
He produced by far his best and most consistent form this past season, starting 37 out of 38 league matches and averaging 3.2 aerial wins, 2.1 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game, per Whoscored. He also chipped in with four goals, such is the dominance of his aerial prowess.
Roberto Mancini handed the towering defender his first Italy cap earlier this year, in a 6-0 mauling of Liechtenstein during Euro 2020 qualifying.
So what’s the problem?
There is one extremely worrying red flag in the player’s past – a six-month ban for match-fixing.
In March of 2017, the Italian Football Federation’s prosecutor requested Izzo be banned from football for six years for his involvement in a mafia match-fixing scandal.
He, along with midfielders Luca Pini and Francesco Millesi, were accused of altering the results of two Serie B matches in coordination with a Secondigliano-based Camorra mafia clan.
The punishment was reduced to six months by May of 2017, but the Toffees will surely steer clear of a player who has so recently diced with danger.
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The last thing Marcel Brands and the club needs is one of their big summer signings to draw attention for all the wrong reasons.
While it may sound like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, this is one red flag that is simply too great to overlook.