Alex Iwobi: Marco Silva demands more goals from winger after Everton switch
Iwobi is unavailable to make his debut vs Crystal Palace on Saturday and will join up with the squad after the game
Saturday 10 August 2019 09:18, UK
Marco Silva has challenged Alex Iwobi to improve his goalscoring stats after his Deadline Day switch to Everton.
Iwobi became Everton's seventh summer signing, joining from Arsenal for £35m, and Silva says the 23-year-old's versatility boosts his attacking options.
However, the Everton boss says Iwobi needs to find the net more regularly after scoring 15 goals in 148 appearances for Arsenal.
"The position we see him in is clear, coming from the left," said Silva. "He can also play behind the striker really well. He can even play on the right.
"He is a strong player, good skills also, but one of the things I will be demanding from him is to start scoring more goals. He is important in that position also.
"But he will help us. He can put good intensity into a match, which is something I like in my attacking players. He will give different solutions to me."
Silva swooped for Iwobi after Everton failed in their pursuit of Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, although he insists the Nigeria international was always on his wishlist.
"You cannot just have one name, you have some names, we tried the players and the market was difficult," said Silva, whose side travel to Crystal Palace for their Premier League opener on Saturday.
"When we lost [Ademola] Lookman we look for one winger, not two, and we have tried to do the deals and achieve a very good player."
Asked whether he expects Zaha to feature against Everton, Silva replied: "That is out of my control.
"It was not just us who were interested in Zaha. He's a very good player but he's a Crystal Palace player.
"Whether he plays against us is for Roy Hodgson to decide. It will be a tough game for us, with or without him."
Silva is satisfied with Everton's business during the transfer window but admits the failure to sign another centre-back "is not the best scenario".
Eighteen players have departed Goodison Park this summer and Silva says more could leave before the European transfer window shuts in September, but one player who won't be leaving is Morgan Schneiderlin.
"It is impossible for Morgan Schneiderlin to leave our club," he said. "We lost Idrissa Gueye in that position - and good luck to him, he did fantastic things at this club.
"At the moment we have two players for that position in Morgan and Jean-Philippe Gbamin. It is impossible for Morgan to leave. He will be our player to the end."
Everton begin their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on Saturday, but Iwobi is unavailable to make his debut and will join up with the squad after the game.
