Everton are thought to be making a late move to hijack one of their Premier League rivals' attempt to land a midfielder this summer, according to one report.
Sean Dyche building strong squad
Though the Toffees have lost Amadou Onana this summer, with the Belgian joining Aston Villa in a £50m deal, their squad currently looks stronger than it did last season. So far, Sean Dyche and co. have managed to sign five new players ahead of the new season kicking off this weekend, when they face Brighton at Goodison Park.
They have replaced Amadou Onana with Aston Villa youngster Tim Iroegbunam, while they have added creative flair with the loan addition of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli.
The Toffees have also sought out extra fire-power after finishing the 23/24 season with just 42 Premier League goals, the second lowest in the division and one fewer than relegated Sheffield United. To do that, they have added former Sheffield United striker Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille in a £15m move, who struggled at Marseille and has completed a quickfire return to English football.
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The Toffees are still targeting reinforcements in the midfield department.
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Perhaps most importantly, Dyche's side have kept hold of Jarrad Branthwaite despite interest from Manchester United, and have bolstered their defence with the arrival of centre-back Jake O'Brien from Lyon, with the defender scoring just 10 minutes into his unofficial Toffees debut and on course to quickly become a fan favourite at Goodison Park.
They are thought to be keen on adding further reinforcements in midfield, and had earmarked Kalvin Phillips as a potential option, but now have been forced to change tack.
Everton eyeing transfer hijack
That comes with Phillips on the verge of joining Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town on loan for the upcoming campaign, which has led Everton to look elsewhere. But their eyes remain largely focused on Portman Road, with reports claiming that they are attempting a late hijack for seemingly fellow Ipswich-bound midfielder Jens Cajuste this summer.
The £25,000-a-week Napoli midfielder is expected to leave Italy this summer and had been on the verge of joining Brentford, even passing a medical with the Bees only for a move to collapse. He only arrived in Naples 12 months ago, but failed to nail down a starting berth at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium despite making 26 Serie A appearances.
Jens Cajuste at Napoli (Serie A 2023/24)
Appearances
26
Starts
11
Total minutes
1010
Goals
0
Assists
2
Yellow Cards
7
Now, the Serie A ace is back on the market, and Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio [Via Sport Witness] reports that Everton have "asked for information" on the midfielder as they weigh up an 11th hour move to sign him ahead of Ipswich.
The Toffees have already brought one player from Naples to Goodison Park this summer in Lindstrom, and the report adds that the two clubs have a "good working relationship" as a result of previous talks, which could allow them to swoop in ahead of Ipswich Town.