Everton could well be about to complete their first signing of the January transfer window…
What’s the word?
According to the Telegraph’s Sam Wallace, the Toffees appear to be closing in on a move for Villarreal winger, Arnaut Danjuma, with the Merseysiders seemingly having won the race to secure the 25-year-old on a loan deal, amid significant rival interest.
The respected journalist revealed on Twitter: “Everton the loan choice for Villarreal’s Dutch international striker Arnaut Danjuma, 25, much sought-after among clubs in lower half of Premier League. Southampton, Forest and his former club Bournemouth were all interested.”
This follows a recent report from the Daily Mail that named the Goodison Park outfit as one of a number of Premier League clubs who were keen on signing the Netherlands international.
‘Gamechanger’ for Everton
There will no doubt be a sense of relief among Everton supporters that the club appear to be finally making moves to try and get out of their current rut, with the only other piece of business this term having seen striker Ellis Simms return from his loan spell at Sunderland.
New recruits have undoubtedly been needed for a side who are currently languishing in the relegation zone, with Frank Lampard’s men looking set to face a scrap for survival for the second successive season.
Arguably the major issue for the struggling outfit has been the inability to put the ball in the back of the net, with the current squad having scored just 15 top-flight goals this season.
The hope will be, however, that the arrival of Danjuma can spark something of a turnaround for Lampard and co, with the six-cap sensation having previously been lauded as a “gamechanger” by his former Bournemouth boss, Eddie Howe.
Although the Nigerian-born speedster did fail to provide a goal or an assist in his previous 14 Premier League games while with the Cherries, the dynamic forward did notably blossom in the second tier, with 15 goals and seven assists during the 2020/21 Championship season.
That prolific form has been replicated in Spain with the 5 foot 10 machine netting ten goals and laying on three assists in 23 La Liga games last term, while also proving a standout figure in Europe with six goals in ten Champions League games.
While the highly-coveted asset has scored just six goals in 17 games this season across all fronts, that figure is still higher than any member of the Everton squad has achieved this term, illustrating the instant impact that he could well make at Goodison Park.
As such, it does appear that Lampard and co have finally been able to secure what could prove to be a potentially game-changing mid-season addition.
