Everton transfer news: Arnaut Danjuma loan back on after Tottenham exit amid potential ‘bad blood’ update after January snub
Everton are again targeting a loan move for Arnaut Danjuma despite the Villarreal man pulling out of a deal at the last minute in January, the Daily Mail reports.
Frank Lampard was on the brink of bringing the 26-year-old to Goodison during the winter window before the former manager’s sacking saw Danjuma instead sign a temporary deal at Tottenham, who confirmed his exit on 15 June.
He is back in the running for a Goodison arrival after his Spurs departure, where he made just 12 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice, as Villarreal are now looking to sell him, but the Toffees are one of a few teams to express interest over a loan which is considered “likely”.
Despite the January drama a deal is not thought to be off the table with relationships between Everton and the Dutch international still good.
According to the Daily Mail: “It’s understood there is no bad blood between the two sides despite Danjuma’s decision to pull the plug on a deal to join Everton in the January transfer window.
“The Merseysiders had a loan agreement in place with the player and his club Villarreal, and Danjuma had passed a medical.
“But Everton’s decision to sack manager Frank Lampard, who had been a key figure in the move, was one of the reasons why Danjuma got cold feet. The Dutchman is said to have appreciated that Everton accepted his decision and they parted on good terms.”
Unexpected
Danjuma’s about-turn at the 11th hour in the winter was the icing of the cake of a miserable transfer window that saw nobody arrive to help Sean Dyche in his attempt to rescue Lampard’s crumbling season.
It is a surprise that in those circumstances both sides are ready to revisit the idea six months down the line, but from a club perspective Everton perhaps can’t afford to choosers.
The fans might take more winning over as a player who leaves a team in the lurch is rarely the most popular and it would take considerable contributions on the pitch to slip out from under that label.
However, the Toffees badly need help in attacking areas, especially if Demarai Gray is minded to move to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Premier League.
And of all the targets linked to a Goodison Park move in January Danjuma was the only one who got as far as actually turning up on Merseyside and having a medical.
His time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium arguably proved the decision to back out of the Everton move a mistake as he was little more than a bit-part player there, but based on his output in Spain – 22 goals in 51 Villarreal appearances in all competitions – he could be a welcome addition.
In other Everton news, the Toffees could now be ready to sell one of the few attacking options they have for £7m to help fund top flight additions.