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Everton in for Leverkusen winger.. but not the one we wanted

By Matt Townsend

AUGSBURG, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 21: Demarai Gray of Leverkusen plays the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at WWK-Arena on February 21, 2021 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
AUGSBURG, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 21: Demarai Gray of Leverkusen plays the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at WWK-Arena on February 21, 2021 in Augsburg, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images) /
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Rafa Benitez is stepping up his efforts to bring in new players in the transfer window as the Everton manager is being linked with moves for two wingers.

According to reports in the Mirror Benitez and Everton are close to signing Andros Townsend, who is available for free this summer and has previously played under the Spaniard at Newcastle United.

Meanwhile, the Liverpool Echo claim the Blues are ready with a £1.5 million offer to meet the release clause of a Bayer Leverkusen winger. However, it’s not the one we probably all wanted, Leon Bailey, instead it’s ex-Leicester City player Demarai Gray.

These two will join veteran goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as Benitez’s first signings at Everton. So what are we to make of these moves, particularly the two forwards, and what does it say about the manager and the club’s transfer strategy?

Well, neither is the sort of headline-grabbing signing we mght have hoped for, although that always seemed a little unlikely this summer given the Blues precarious financial position, at least not without a money-making sale or two first.

Townsend is certainly a very experienced Premier League player who you could argue has been perhaps a little under-rated among wide attackers in recent years as he played for clubs like Newcastle and Crystal Palace neither of whom are one of the high-profile sides.

At 30 Townsend is the same age as the current Everton right-side attacker, James Rodriguez, but is obviously a very different player. Would his arrival signal the Colombian is certain to leave?

The ex-Palace player still posses real pace and is a natural wide player and that left-footed forward perfectly suited to playing on the right, which has been the major area of weakness in the Toffees team.

He chipped in with five assists last season in a Palace team that was hardly the most attack-minded in the league. If he could at least replicate that and hopefully add to this total it will represent a significant boost in the Blues goal threat.

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As for Gray he was once one of the most highly-regarded young English forwards in the Premier League after he broke into the Leicester City side.

But he didn’t manage to establish himself consistently at the King Power Stadium and eventually moved to Germany’s Bundesliga.

Gray is still only 25 and also has plenty of pace while he tends to play on the left side where Richarlison has usually operated for the past few campaigns.

So does that suggest that the Brazilian might have a more central role, perhaps in a three man attack behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin next season?

I’m sure many Evertonians will be a little underwhelmed with this business, but the arrival of these two would at least be a statement of attacking intent in Benitez’s approach, even if they aren’t the big names that fans might have wanted.

However, is this just the reality that Everton now find themselves in where massive spending is simply not realistic and the club must cut their cloth accordingly?

Well whatever the truth if that, it would be nice for me to have my namesake pulling on a royal blue shirt next season!

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