Everton never stopped trying to sign 26-year-old forward Arnaut Danjuma after missing out on him in the January transfer window.
The Toffees secured Danjuma’s signature at the second time of asking last week, signing the Dutch international on a season-long loan from Villarreal.
However, it is a transfer that has been many months in the making, as per reports in The Athletic, which state that negotiations for the ‘wonderful’ attacker resumed soon after the January window.
Indeed, the report states that talks between the two camps were ‘light-hearted at first’, but quickly became more serious in nature.
Everton were further helped as former Watford striker Troy Deeney provided Sean Dyche with a glowing appraisal when Danjuma’s camp were completing their due diligence.
Deeney played 46 times for Watford under Sean Dyche during the 2011/12 season, and spoke well of the Everton boss, providing the Blues with an unexpected assist.
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Clearly, Danjuma is a player greatly admired by Everton, having gone to such lengths to secure his signature.
Indeed, even an eleventh-hour snub in January did not deter the club from acquiring their man, and it is refreshing to see the club’s pursuit of a player end in success.
Danjuma himself acknowledged the awkwardness of the failed January move once he completed his switch to Everton last week speaking with the official club website.
Danjuma said: “I know I did not move to the Club in January, that was because there was some uncertainty over the manager situation at that time, but I think it makes it even more beautiful for me to join now.
I am very grateful to be at the Club and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans as well.”
Everton take on Bolton Wanderers tonight in the club’s third pre-season game of the summer, so perhaps the 26-year-old will get his first taste of life at the Toffees this evening,