Everton have been active in the transfer market this summer and now that international duties have been wrapped up, they will focus on building toward a successful start to the 2024/25 campaign.
Sean Dyche earned his laurels last term, engendering a steely mentality and an inner belief that allowed the Toffees to overcome an eight-point deduction in the Premier League and record a comfortable 16th-place finish.
Now, with PSR circumvented, Everton will fight toward a sunlit future, and while Amadou Onana is in the process of being sold to Aston Villa for £50m, his sacrifice means Jarrad Branthwaite is all but confirmed to stay at Goodison Park – barring a jaw-dropping offer for his services.
Iliman Ndiaye
Ben Godfrey (£10m)
Tim Iroegbunam
Lewis Dobbin (£10m)
Andy Lonergan (free)
Andre Gomes (free)
Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam have already been signed but there is more to come, with Everton lining up an exciting new winger after attempts to sign Hull City's Jaden Philogene were foiled.
Everton transfer news
According to La Gazzetta dellot Sport – via Goodison News – Everton have been busy in their preparation to sign Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom, even ready to table an offer of £25m for his services.
Such news follows the words of Fabrizio Romano, who revealed last week that the Merseysiders had opened talks with the Serie A side for the transfer of the Dane. Napoli are willing to do business for the right fee – and £25m is a sizeable fee indeed.
Having rejected a proposal from Everton's arch-rivals Liverpool one year ago, this would be a sweet, sweet signing to pump some new life into Dyche's attack.
What Jesper Lindstrom would bring to Everton
Lindstrom might not have the finest final product on the block, but he boasts a range of qualities that would make him an exciting fit for an Everton side that needs some added oomph in the attacking third.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin proved this at the end of the 2022/23 campaign that his shooting boots are taking form once again, bagging four goals and adding an assist across his final seven outings. More, Ndiaye will add offensive impetus and Dwight McNeil is one of the most creative wingers out there, fashioning 17 big chances in the Premier League last term.
Lindstrom, 24, can play across the frontline and could revive his career under Dyche's tutelage after falling by the wayside in Naples, completing 29 appearances since his transfer one year ago but failing to score and failing to assist.
He was on the fringe in a pervasive environment, the 2022/23 Serie A champions suffering a dramatic downturn in form after their staggering success, and such travails are not reflective of an exciting skillset.
Indeed, during the 2022/23 Bundesliga season – with Eintracht Frankfurt – Lindstrom impressed with his progressive ability and dynamic threat, scoring seven goals and supplying four assists across 22 starting features in the division, hailed for his "exceptional" performances by journalist Antonio Mango.
He also impressed with his directness, ranking among the top 18% of positional peers in the German top flight that year for progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref, highlighting his ball-carrying ability and driven attempts toward the danger area.
He principally plays in the middle but Lindstrom's pace and vehicular-like qualities have seen him feature across both flanks on many occasions, and considering such progressive strengths, he might even prove to be the perfect alternative to Jaden Philogene.
Philogene was heavily linked with a move to Everton before re-signing for Aston Villa from Hull City in a £13m deal, achieved due to a pre-payment clause embedded when the Villans sold the stylish winger one year ago.
The 22-year-old was spellbinding for the Tigers, positively purring his way through the season as he scored, assisted and entertained to no end. 12 goals and six assists are nothing to be sniffed at, but the real locus of Philogene's quality lies in the underlying metrics, averaging 2.4 tackles, 4.2 ball recoveries, 2.7 dribbles and 7.6 successful duels per game.
Philogene ranked among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship last season for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Perhaps Lindstrom doesn't quite boast the same electrifying presence but he has proven himself a reliable ball carrier in the past and would arrive at Goodison Park with a fresh chance to cement himself as one of the outfit's leading members.
Everton have proven their grit, their adaptability, over recent years and while they didn't end up with Philogene's signature, moving swiftly in an attempt to tie up the Napoli man's signature is a testament to the determination to succeed.
The £50k-per-week Lindstrom was unable to strut his stuff as he might have liked with Napoli last season but he is still relatively young and desperate to prove himself, and Everton could offer him the platform to use as a launchpad.
Hard-working and multi-skilled, he would be a wonderful addition and would add a dimension that Dyche's team could benefit from greatly, perhaps even breaking back into the desirable side of the Premier League table.
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ByJoe NuttallJul 14, 2024
