Will struggling PL sides rue passing on Bolasie?

Having defied Marco Silva by terminating his Aston Villa loan, the forgotten wideman now has to prove he’s still got what it takes…in Belgium

It’s not every time a player goes against the plans and wishes of his manager to move in a direction he deems fit. One man going rogue might see him tagged a revolutionary, when it’s a group in the squad, rumors will swirl about the coach probably losing the dressing room.

For Everton’s Marco Silva, it’s definitely the former (albeit at a reduced scale) considering the current Yannick Bolasie situation that played out with deadline day approaching.

Unbeknownst to the Portuguese coach, the Democratic Republic of Congo international cut short his season-long loan deal at Aston Villa to exercise the option in the agreement to return to his parent club midway through the campaign. It was an ill-advised decision given how many options Silva has available to him in attack, and the better choice would have been staying the rest of the season at Villa Park.

While the player’s choice ostensibly came off as foolish, the whole situation gives a feel of a player itching to get his career back to where it was a couple of years ago. Maybe that’s something the managers in the lower reaches of England’s top flight could have taken advantage of in their fight to stay in the division.

After being told he was surplus to requirements, Bolasie’s preferred move to another English side – Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were both linked – didn’t quite come through, but he did secure a move away to Belgium with giants Anderlecht completing a late move in the closing hours of the winter window.

While is arrival could be a massive addition for Anderlecht, could the aforementioned pair come to rue not securing the player on a temporary spell?

Perhaps Bolasie's output; both his assists and goals, have never been truly exceptional during his career, but the threat he carries down the flank ought not be understated.

He always seemed to turn it on when facing higher-echelon opposition whose managers would’ve been wary of the harm he could inflict on their sides.

His impact in Palace’s return to the big time was summed up in one moment – his 11-minute treble in the Eagles’ 4-1 win at Sunderland in April 2015 – which saw him become the first ever player to net a Premier League hat-trick for the South London side.

Predictably, a move to a bigger side was touted and Everton shelled out a bid in the region of £25 million to complete the signing of the livewire.

In all fairness, a transfer to Everton looked like a logical next step for the Central African, and he was tipped to make a huge impact. Unfortunately, an anterior cruciate ligament injury in December 2016 kept him on the sideline for a year, and devastated his career at Goodison Park.

It was clear, when he returned to action for the Toffees last term, that Bolasie wasn't the player he had previously been.

While the risks of the struggling PL sides plumping for a 29-year-old who many consider to be over the hill are well known, they would have been getting a player whose desire to prove a point to naysayers wouldn’t have been a bad thing for any side willing to take that gamble.

His two goals and four assists in 21 appearances for Villa may be looked on with scorn, but it should also be noted that those numbers have come in only nine starts and jin ust over 950 minutes of football.

The DRC wideman’s numbers also better most of the players he would have been competing with for a place in Rafael Benitez’s and Roy Hodgson’s sides had either of the Premier League strugglers come in for him, even if he'd achieved them against a lesser level of competition.

Nevertheless, Bolasie still has superior numbers than most widemen among the relegation-threatened sides (only Andros Townsend with four goals and three assists has more) and he'd surely have been worth a punt.

The signings of Miguel Almiron and Michy Batshuayi respectively may encourage Newcastle and Palace fans respectively that they have players who guarantee goal contributions; the former scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists to help Major League Soccer side Atlanta United to success in the MLS Cup, while the latter also packs a punch.

However, Bolasie's pace, experience and desire could have made him an effective asset for either of the top-flight duo. Will either regret not making a move for the 29-year-old?