Injury could help young midfielder stay on Everton’s books

As unfortunate as injuries can be to any footballer, sometimes a knock can prove to be somewhat fortuitous for a club besieged by offers for a player.

That is where Everton find themselves with young midfielder Joe Williams who is on loan for the season at Bolton Wanderers. The 22-year-old picked up a thigh injury against Stoke City a couple of days ago and that seems to have quelled Bristol City’s interest in the player, for now at least.

While Marco Silva insists that he wants Everton retain the services of the midfielder with a view to working him into the senior squad (per the Liverpool Echo), teams like Bristol City will continue to pursue the player with the Bolton News claiming that the Robins have already had a £1m offer accepted for the midfielder.

After an excellent year out on loan at Barnsley last season, the Championship side were ready to make the deal permanent but the Blues hung on to the player. However Williams saw his season end prematurely after picking up a muscle ailment a month before the end of the season.

During the preseason he was starting to make an impression on Silva while training with the senior squad when a thigh issue meant he couldn’t fly to Austria for summer camp with the side and he fell out of favour with the manager, getting loaned to Bolton at the beginning of the season.

While there is a slight bit of concern over some nagging injury issues that seem to keep popping up for Williams, it can be somewhat explained by his rough-and-ready playing style similar to that of James McCarthy.

Right now though, he is going to be out for a month and the Robins have gone ahead and closed the deal on Kasey Palmer which should end their interest in the young Blue.