Everton have hardly pushed the boat out this season with their transfer targets, but those they have identified they have more often than not secured.
Naturally, a few slipped through the cracks, with Jaden Philogene and Yankuba Minteh two outstanding errors, but from their decision to snub the Toffees came the alternative additions of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom.
Both already have impressed in royal blue this season.
However, there remains one outstanding vacancy for Sean Dyche’s side, and that is in midfield, especially following the departure of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa.
Now whether fans think he needs replacing or not, that seems to be high on Kevin Thelwell’s agenda, and he could have just been handed the ultimate stroke of fortune in his pursuit of a brand-new target…
Everton identify brand-new midfielder target
Despite rumours persisting suggesting that Kalvin Phillips remains Everton’s top target, ideally Thelwell would want a permanent fix to this issue.
After all, the Manchester City midfielder would merely provide a temporary solution, and following his disappointing spell with West Ham United last season, would offer no assurances over quality or consistency.
So, perhaps he might benefit from looking elsewhere, with his journey buoyed by the recent collapse of Brentford’s move for Jens Cajuste.
Napoli are still very keen to sell the midfield enforcer, thus making him an attractive proposition for any other interested clubs, and have been shown a pathway of how to complete a deal after the Bees agreed a £10m deal for his services.
The latest report, via TEAMtalk, suggests Everton might be ready to pounce: ‘TEAMtalk can also reveal that Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste – whose move to Brentford has reportedly collapsed – is another target for the Toffees.
‘Everton have already signed Jesper Lindstrom on loan from Napoli this summer and have a good relationship with the Italian club. Cajuste, 25, can play as a defensive midfielder or in a number six role and would be an ideal replacement for Amadou Onana.’
Who is Brentford and Everton target Jens Cajuste?
Having enjoyed the start of his career in his homeland of Sweden, a professional debut in 2016 laid the foundations for the sparkling start to life in professional football.
This paved the way for his move to Midtjylland, where he gained crucial Champions League experience, before Reims then took a punt on the 6 foot 2 midfielder.
A progressive bruiser in the engine room who can create and break up play, when compared to others across Europe in his position, he crucially ranks in the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90 as well as the top 5% for tackles and 7% for blocks per 90 too, via FBref.
Similarly to Lindstrom, an ill-advised move to Napoli has seen his progress stall, but that does not diminish the quality of Cajuste. In fact, the only outcome is to cheapen the deal for Everton, especially with Brentford now out of the picture.
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