Everton 'find replacement' ahead of offloading misfiring loan star free of charge

Everton are said to have found a replacement for loan man Arnaut Danjuma, who could be on his way out of the club earlier than expected. Danjuma joined the Toffees on loan from Villarreal in the summer, but he hasn't impressed, scoring once from 10 league appearances despite having a reputation as a goal-scoring winger.

Reports in France have claimed Olympique Lyon are hot on the heels of Danjuma, keen to snap up the Dutchman as part of their bid to get out of trouble, currently sat in the relegation play-off spot in Ligue 1. Reports, as detailed by SportWitness, has claimed Lyon want to agree an option to buy with Villarreal worth a maximum of €15million, which is €10million less than Villarreal bought the winger for in 2021, though Lyon are also said to be willing to do a deal without an option to buy, taking over Everton's season-long loan deal.

French journalist Sébastien Denis has reported that Everton wanted to ensure they found a replacement for Danjuma before allowing him to leave. He has now claimed that the Toffees have found their replacement, allowing the Danjuma deal to go ahead, but he does not specify who that new winger is. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has tweeted: "Olympique Lyon are pushing again to sign Arnaut Danjuma. Talks are ongoing and the player remains keen on move as could have guaranteed game time. Pressure now on Everton to make final decision as there’s no green light yet."

As for Danjuma, he is said to have spoken to Netherlands teammate Memphis Depay about Lyon and is happy to make the switch to France. At this point, it's not clear whether Everton will receive compensation from Lyon to allow them to take over the loan deal or whether Everton are simply happy to pass on the wage given Danjuma's minimal influence so far this season, and given Lyon's approach, the Toffees won't owe Villarreal any money for ending the loan deal early.