Everton made aware of Franculino Dju transfer timeline as director speaks out

Everton's search for a new striker could take plenty of twists and turns after a new update on Franculino Dju.

The Guinea-Bissau forward, commonly known as Franculino, looks set for a significant summer move following his exploits in the Danish top-flight.

The 21-year-old, who has been and continues to be on Everton's radar, scored 17 goals in 21 league appearances for FC Midtjylland.

Technical director Kristian Kjaer has now shared a positive update regarding an exit for Franculino.

Everton will be monitoring the situation closely, with Kjaer sharing his expectations over when a sale could be agreed.

And now, it appears the race for the striker's signature could begin to get competitive.

What has been said about Franculino Dju's future?

The Standard have shared that numerous Premier League clubs are "ready to enter the market" in order to sign Franculino this transfer window.

With Everton's long-standing interest, it is not a stretch to state they are likely one of those sides.

In an interview with the outlet, FC Midtjylland technical director Kjaer has opened the door to an exit as he shared the likely timeframe for a sale.

He stated: "We also had historic offers from a club from the Middle East and then inquiries from the Premier League clubs. I think now most of the clubs will look into his pre-season, and then we will see what will happen in August with him."

As Everton look to add names to their squad, if Franculino is one of the names high on the list, a deal may have to wait quite a while.

With an August timeline set, Franculino would miss the majority, if not all of pre-season for the Blues if signed.

Snapping up the forward won't be an easy effort either. Previously, Kjaer stated: "We knew he had a special talent thanks to his finishing skills. He is very relaxed, even in stressful situations."

Now, those talents have alerted a number of European clubs, with Arsenal and Bayern Munich touted to be interested.

However, with Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal and Harry Kane at Bayern Munich, the Toffees may have the advantage due to a better guarantee of minutes.

How Beto could play a key role in Dju transfer

Everton's Beto could be an influential figure to convince Franculino of the L3 outfit.

Dju, like the Everton forward, plays for the Guinea-Bissau national side, although they do not often share the pitch.

Franculino and Beto have only shared the pitch twice throughout their international careers though, playing for a combined 32 minutes.

However, the Toffees number nine could still open a line of communication and share the positives of a potential move.

Although there could be an argument that the 28-year-old would be hesitant in helping close a transfer that may limit his own minutes.