Everton have been in great form under Carlo Ancelotti.

The Toffees appointed the Italian on December 21st 2019, following the sacking of Marco Silva.

Since then, they have played 14 Premier League games and enjoyed a genuinely exceptional run.

In those games, they have lost just three times, to Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

They currently sit 11th and are a mere three points off seventh-placed Sheffield United, who have been one of the great success stories of this season.

Ancelotti’s men face Tottenham Hotspur on Monday evening, and could well jump above Jose Mourinho’s side and Arsenal if they win.

A key member of the former Chelsea manager’s squad has been Mason Holgate, the 23-year-old centre-back.

He has played in every league game under Ancelotti, but he has now been tipped to leave the club.

Football Insider have reported previously that Manchester City are interested in signing Holgate, who is valued at £40 million by the Toffees.

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John Stones could even move the other way in part-exchange and former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown believes that the defender would jump at the chance to move to the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “Well the fact of the matter is he won’t want to turn it down and that’s no disrespect to Everton, he’s done great there, he’s looking good and it looks like he’s going to play games.

“A club like Manchester City are just on another level to Everton at the moment and that’s life. Geographically it’s good, so if that was the case you’d see him wanting to go and work with Pep as well.

“That’s just the walk of life and I’m sure every Evertonian would agree it’s going to be tough one to say he’d turn them down if that was the case.”

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Brown is absolutely right.

City are likely to be restructuring their squad in the summer transfer window after surrendering their Premier League title to Liverpool.

Holgate is a versatile presence who can play at centre-back or at right-back and he would offer a different level of ability to the likes of Nicolas Otamendi and Stones.

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Everton snapped Holgate up from Barnsley in 2015 and he signed a new five-year contract in 2020, so the Toffees would be able to demand a huge fee from the likely Premier League runners-up.

They paid just £2 million to secure his signature so a massive profit will, at least, soften the blow somewhat.

Ancelotti, though, is unlikely to be happy; The Athletic have previously reported that he has identified Holgate as a possible future captain at Goodison Park.

Those kinds of players are not easily replaced.