Report: Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck tempted by Everton move and admires Ronald Koeman

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Danny Welbeck is a useful squad player at Arsenal but he could be Everton’s undispited number one centre-forward.

With Olivier Giroud announcing that he will remain an Arsenal player beyond August’s transfer deadline, Everton appear to have turned their attention towards his Gunners team-mate.

The Mirror reported earlier this month that The Toffees were seeking to replace talisman Romelu Lukaku with a striker who can act as a targetman and stretch opposition backlines with his pace and would be willing to offer Arsenal £30 million for the England forward.

Welbeck, a fearsome physical specimen if not the most natural of goalscorers, would offer an athletic focal point to Everton’s attack.

And, with plenty of competition for places at the Emirates, not least after Arsenal broke their transfer record to sign Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon, it’s unclear how big a role Welbeck will play for Arsene Wenger this season despite starting, and scoring, in Friday’s opening day victory over Leicester City.

Though injuries were certainly a major factor, the former Manchester United attacker has started just 15 Premier League games in his last two seasons with The Gunners.

Fresh start

And Italian newspaper Tuttomercatoweb reports that Welbeck may be tempted by a possible move to Goodison Park as he is a firm admirer of Toffees’ boss Ronald Koeman.

Furthermore, swapping North London for Merseyside would allow Welbeck to reunite with Wayne Rooney, his one-time strike partner for both Manchester United and England. The pair enjoyed a fine relationship at Old Trafford, winning the Premier League title in 2012.

Everton may also allow Welbeck to play in his favoured centre-forward position rather than shunting him out wide, as Wenger has tended to do at Arsenal.