After signing from Serie A giants Juventus last summer, it’s fair to say Moise Kean didn’t enjoy the greatest of debut campaigns with Everton.

The Italy international played 33 times across all competitions last season, scoring just two goals and providing only two assists – he also of course suffered the ignominy of being substituted just 18 minutes after first coming on against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Following the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as manager, some Toffees fans may have thought that the Italian connection between the two might see their talented striker finally shine.

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But instead, the 20-year-old failed to really kick on, playing just 503 minutes of football under Ancelotti. However, amidst the incredible talk that Real Madrid superstar James Rodriguez could be on his way to Goodison Park this summer, the time is arguably perfect for Kean to be unshackled.

Speaking back in December last year, Ancelotti himself said: “He did really well last year. We were involved, when I was in Napoli, to try to buy him. He signed for Everton. I think he is a really good player with a lot of talent. He showed fantastic talent last year with Juventus, even if he didn’t play a lot.

“But he is 19 years old and for every player that changes country, changes teams, they need adaptation. We have to wait and we have to work on him to improve his quality and be a better professional. But he has top quality.”

The key thing for Everton is whether Kean has finally gone through that period of “adaptation”. He arrived on Merseyside as a teenager, and with a lot of expectation on his shoulders for someone so young – after all, this was someone who was seen as a bright prospect at former side Juventus and playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now that a new season is almost close to arriving, Ancelotti must show his full faith in his Italian compatriot and hand him the keys to Everton’s attack. Bringing him on as a supposed super-sub, or hooking him early into the second-half is going to do no favours for his development.

But taking a risk on him and allowing to play through mistakes and the teething problems that inevitably occurs with a young striker could reap rich rewards for the Toffees in the end.