Summary Everton are closing in on a move for Jack Harrison but Aston Villa tried to hijack a move. The reason for that has now been revealed. After concluding that move, the club's attention could turn to a £13m player who registered eight goal involvements during 2022/23.
Everton are interested in further solving their attacking quandary after the potential signing of Jack Harrison.
What's the latest Everton transfer news?
As reported by David Ornstein, the Leeds winger was undergoing a medical on Merseyside ahead of a season-long loan move.
However, as per Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa tried to hijacked a move with the player seemingly set on a move to the Midlands instead. A personal phone call with Unai Emery helped sway the player's mind but since then, the move has collapsed citing an injury established during a medical.
Consequently, the Villans have pulled out leaving Everton free to sign the player.
That said, the Toffees could still be looking at another attacker.
The Telegraph reported on Friday that Southampton had been approached by Bournemouth to present a £13m offer for Adams, though Everton have also presented a 'structured deal' and Nottingham Forest are long-term admirers.
The 27-year-old has been of interest to the Toffees all summer as manager Sean Dyche looks to restore the club's attacking impetus, and Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Goodison Park underscored the necessity for a new striker.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
Arnaut Danjuma and Youssef Chermiti have already been signed this summer, but the former is not really an out-and-out striker and Chermiti, aged 19, is considered a long-term project.
How good is Che Adams?
There's no denying that Adams is not the most prolific of strikers around; the £52k-per-week ace ranks among the bottom 21% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals per 90, as per FBref, and did not hit double digits in any of his four Premier League campaigns with the Saints.
He did play for a pretty abject Southampton side last season, however, and still scored five goals, assisting three more, from just 23 starting appearances, taking 1.7 shots and creating 0.9 key passes per outing.
Praised for his "fantastic" attitude by former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, the 23-cap international would provide Everton with a sense of fluidity, he would be the ocean from which rivers would flow, and the overall output of the Toffees attack would finally find a sense of togetherness.
Indeed, his prospective arrival could see an instant thriving partnership struck up with Harrison.
The former New York City man was also relegated from the English top flight this year with Leeds United and is an impressive attacking option who could bolster Dyche's squad and open up several new dimensions to the attack.
Described as an "explosive" player, Harrison scored six goals and provided ten assists from 40 matches across all competitions for the Whites last term, while also maintaining a defensive work rate that will please Dyche, ranking among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers for blocks and the top 15% for clearances per 90.
He is a dynamic attacking option, and one that could flourish with a "focal point" – according to former Southampton midfielder Jo Tessem – such as Adams, who did not have the support he needed at St. Mary's Stadium last year.
Harrison created 1.5 key passes per game last season, which highlights the consistency of his creative ability in a game, something Adams would no doubt have lapped up on Merseyside, with the "clever player" – as called by pundit Ally McCoist – boasting the movement and intellect to move into promising positions that could be found by the Leeds flanker.
With Everton's frontline offering little success, change is understandably afoot and by integrating Adams and Harrison into the squad, a new formula for success might just bear fruit for Dyche's side.
