Ancelotti rules out Holgate leaving Everton

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out any possibility of Mason Holgate leaving the club in the near future.

The 23-year-old defender, primarily a centre-back but more than capable of playing on defensive flanks, is reportedly being considered by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. City failed to replace Vincent Kompany when the former captain left last summer and that is one of the likely reasons they haven’t been able to compete properly with Liverpool for the Premier League title this season. It seems Guardiola is looking to rectify the mistake with Holgate considered a worthy candidate.

However, speaking to the press ahead of his team’s clash with Manchester United on Sunday, Ancelotti revealed that he sees Holgate as an important part of his plans for the future of Everton. He believes the reports of City’s interest are nothing more than rumours, but even if they aren’t, he gave a numerical assessment of the chances of Holgate leaving:

“Zero possibility, like my friend Jose Mourinho says. Zero.”

Holgate is under contract with Everton until the summer of 2022.