Tottenham pip Everton to the signing of Arnaut Danjuma

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By Martin Graham | 26th Jan 2023

Tottenham have stolen ahead of Everton to agree on a deal to sign Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma. Everton seemed to have finalized with the Spanish side before Tottenham hijacked the deal.

Everton is a club in distress, as they have found goals hard to come by and are struggling to get victories. The club sits in 19th place on the Premier League log and faces relegation. The nine-time league champion is in a dire situation and needs all the help it can get to avoid the drop.

Everton have lost striking power, with Richarlison joining Tottenham last season and Dominic Calvert-Lewin battling injuries. The club has managed just 15 goals this term and needs to up its game to avert disaster. They have been in the market for a potent striker to ease their goalscoring woes.

With potential targets on their radar, Everton may have dilly-dallied for too long. There were reports of the club being on the verge of signing Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma, but that deal seems to be up in smoke. According to the latest news, Tottenham has beaten the Toffees to the signing of the Villarreal striker.

Tottenham edge Everton to Arnaut Danjuma

Everton will have to turn their eyes to other striking targets as the deal for Villarreal striker Danjuma is dead. According to the latest reports, Tottenham has hijacked the deal for Danjuma after agreeing a deal to sign the attacker on loan. The Toffees were ahead to clinch a deal but wasted too much time, allowing Spurs to swoop in to finalise the move.

Fabrizio Romano was on top of the Danjuma situation. He confirmed in his reports that Tottenham has now agreed on a deal. It was a classic hijack, as Danjuma had gone through a medical with the Toffees, only for the north London club to swoop in in the final moments to hijack the deal for the 25-year-old striker.

With one of their primary targets in the transfer window gone, Everton has about a week to find a replacement. Danjuma would have been a good fit for the struggling club. Everton had agreed to a dry loan with Villarreal a few days back. Danjuma was also keen for the challenge on Merseyside before Tottenham swooped in to snatch the striker.

Tottenham look for striking options as club fights for top four place

The deal that takes Danjuma to Tottenham is the same as that offered by Everton. There is no buy option, as the striker will return to Spain after his loan spell. Perhaps the Nigerian-born Dutch forward prefers a battle for a Champions League slot to a relegation struggle.

Antonio Conte has several striking options at his disposal but wants another dimension to his attack. With Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Richarlison as his options, Danjuma will bring a different flavour to his attack. Tottenham is chasing a top-four finish and is currently in fifth place, three points behind Manchester United.

Spurs had also tried to land Brighton striker Leandro Trossard but lost him to Arsenal. The loss of the striker to the Gunners might have forced their hand into looking in other directions. Danjuma is a risk-free option, although if he is to perform well, Spurs might look to sign him permanently in the summer.