Everton have had a long-standing interest in Arnaut Danjuma and now a reliable source has revealed a fresh update on the club's pursuit of the player this summer.
Is Arnaut Danjuma joining Everton?
According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Everton are "closing in" on a deal for the Villarreal winger.
Romano took to Twitter on Thursday to reveal:
"Everton are closing in on Danjuma deal — understand bid has been accepted, here we go soon.
"Understand it’s gonna be loan move. Player believes Everton is best for his career. After January hijack the communication stayed open and now Everton have their player."
How good is Arnaut Danjuma?
Despite the controversy surrounding Danjuma's move to Tottenham Hospur in January, there is no doubt that his potential arrival at Goodison Park in the coming days wouldn't be a major coup for the Merseyside club.
Sean Dyche is in dire need of quality attacking reinforcements after another uninspiring and troubling Premier League season for the Toffees, with exits from Richarlison and Anthony Gordon considerably weakening the talent needed in the final third.
Not only that, Demarai Gray has now been attracting interest with Crystal Palace strengthening their pursuit of the winger over the past few days, according to reports from the Daily Mail, which would only contribute to Everton's concerns should the player depart.
As a result, the signing of Danjuma is exactly what Dyche needs to address his frustrating and uninspiring attacking threat, as well as facilitating a move for Gray which would ultimately boost the transfer funds available for the manager over the remainder of the transfer window.
The £45k-per-week wide man is no stranger to the Premier League of course, spending six months on loan in north London with Spurs, however, a lack of game-time made it difficult for Danjuma to hit the ground running.
During his stint at the London club, the Lagos-born ace only made nine appearances in the top flight, averaging just 19 minutes per performance, but did manage to score a league goal and also find the back of the net once in the FA Cup too.
The last six months with Spurs are not a true reflection of Danjuma's keen eye for goal, however, as the 5 foot 8 winger has proven that with consistent minutes he can be a force in the final third – scoring 22 goals and registering four assists over 51 appearances for the Spanish club, with a goal contribution every 122 minutes, an output that would be extremely valuable to Dyche.
Former Sunderland goal-scorer Kevin Phillips heaped praise on the versatile forward when speaking to Football Insider last year, highlighting qualities that could well make him a wonderful acquisition for Everton.
"On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness.
"He’s shown that countless times. Players like him are a rarity in this day and age."
With that being said, Danjuma is an exciting prospect for Everton and with regular game-time at Goodison Park he could quickly become a fan favourite, while outperforming Gray in the process.
