Everton go head to head with West Ham for free agent signing Adnan Januzaj
Everton and West Ham are now in a head-to-head battle to sign free agent winger Adnan Januzaj, according to Gazetta dello Sport.
The 27-year-old former Manchester United starlet is available after leaving Real Sociedad at the expiry of his contract this summer.
The pink paper in Italy notes that the Belgium international remains “one of the most creative wings in Europe” after a season where he made 44 appearances in all competitions for the Basque club.
According to Gazetta he considered a move to Napoli earlier in the summer but the current situation sees the two Premier League clubs leading the race, with La Liga outfit Sevilla hovering in the background.
They suggest that the deciding factor in the player’s decision will be which club gives him a prominent role rather than adds him to a crowd of options.
He has his eyes on the Belgium squad for the Qatar World Cup and wants an option that makes it easy for him to gain selection.
Low cost
Frustration is building around the club again, not least from manager Frank Lampard, as poor preseason results and a lack of arrivals put people on edge ahead of the new season.
Finances are clearly an issue even though there is some money to spend, but the targets that it has been put on the table for are still proving difficult to land.
The only arrival has come in the form of another out of contract player in James Tarkowski, so Januzaj might be more of an attractive option than might have otherwise been the case since he doesn’t require a transfer fee.
The Toffees want Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet in a similar position, who has an affordable release clause, but even that deal has not been done yet as the club attempt to defer payment.
If they are to eventually land the Ivorian as Goodison News pundit Kevin Campbell believes, that might put Januzaj off since Anthony Gordon is likely to start on one side.
Much as the manager would like to have options at his disposal, the player clearly wants to start with the World Cup on the horizon.
Everton surely will be adding someone in the coming weeks, and if a winger is a priority it feels like an either-or situation between these two.