Villarreal are facing a January raid from the Premier League with Southampton at the front of the queue for Nicolas Jackson and Everton looking to bring Arnaut Danjuma back to England, according to El Periodico Mediterraneo.
With transfer funds currently in short supply at Goodison Park, Frank Lampard, Kevin Thelwell and co will have to get creative and box clever if they are to bring some high-quality attacking additions to a Toffees side lacking in star quality.
Danjuma has a £45 million release clause in his Villarreal contract. Everton, earlier in the Farhad Moshiri era, might have triggered such a clause without thinking twice but – after years of heavy spending – no longer find themselves in a position to act so decisively. Or, some would say, recklessly.
Everton and Southampton eyeing raid on La Liga outfit Villarreal
According to El Periodico, Everton hope to sign Danjuma on an initial loan, complete with an option-to-buy. Note ‘option’ rather than ‘obligation’. Everton obviously hope to avoid being left stuck in a situation where they are forced to splash out a colossal sum on a player who, during his previous spell in the Premier League, failed to score a goal or provide an assist in 14 games for Bournemouth.
Danjuma has come a long way since that difficult debut season on the South Coast. The Dutch international hit the target 16 times in 34 games at Villarreal in 2021/2; finding the net against Atalanta, Juventus and Bayern Munich as renowned cup specialist Unai Emery took the team from the Castellon coast to the Champions League semi-finals.
“You always have to say yes,” Danjuma tells The Athletic. “You can’t shut the door to the Premier League.”
The Dutch international was linked with a move to Liverpool over the summer; the Reds potentially viewing the versatile attacker as a potential Sadio Mane replacement. He also held talks with West Ham.
Relegation-battlers Southampton eye another addition
Villarreal team-mate Nicolas Jackson also has Premier League admirers; Southampton on pole for a player also on the radar of Newcastle and Emery’s Aston Villa.
Bottom-of-the-table Saints have made a loan-to-buy bid for their own. 21-year-old Jackson featured for Senegal at the Qatar World Cup. He ticks a lot of boxes for a Southampton side prioritising young, improving talent with substantial re-sale potential.
Per El Periodico, Southampton are currently showing ‘the greatest interest’ in Jackson. He could become Nathan Jones’ third new signing already. Racing Club midfielder Carlos ‘Charly’ Alcaraz is on the verge of joining Mislav Orsic at St Mary’s.
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