With Frank Lampard now at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground today and having signed his believed to be two and a half year contract, he can now get to work on potential transfer deadline day signings. To do this he may have to utilise his previous football relationships, one of these is with ex Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
A link has come to light today for one of the fringe players at Real Madrid to potentially join Everton on loan before the transfer window shuts tonight.
Luka Jovic, the Serbian striker, has been linked with a loan move to Goodison Park as reported by Mike McGrath of the Telegraph on Twitter just earlier:
Everton considering Luka Jovic as a loan option from #RealMadrid to strengthen Frank Lampard's attack. Player will be allowed to leave on loan. #EFC can make foreign loans but no more domestic after arrivals of El Ghazi and Van de Beek https://t.co/c2o2SYZPZb
— Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) January 31, 2022
Everton can make two more loan deals from foreign leagues, but they have no more Premier League loan deals available to them as they reached the quota with the Anwar El Ghazi and Donny Van De Beek loan signings.
Is Luka Jovic a better backup option for Everton?
With Solomon Rondon unsuccessfully filling in while Dominic Calvert-Lewin was injured for 4 months, Lampard could well look for a favour from Ancelotti to get a younger and more desirable striker as back up to Calvert-Lewin.
The Serb arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for a whopping £56 million but has failed to make an impact in Spain. Jovic has been out of favour at Real Madrid and spent a large chunk of his time since signing for Benfica before that and last season when at Real Madrid on loan at German side Eintracht Frankfurt. Jovic has only made 32 appearances for Madrid in two and a half years with only three goals scored.
However, Jovic’s record in Germany was far better with a goal roughly every 3 games his ratio. Also for Serbia, his 20 caps have seen seven goals which is a good strike rate at the international level.
At 24 years old Jovic has plenty of time to get his career back on track, although his work rate and desire has been questioned. However, the Serbian striker might be suited to the Premier League and Arsenal have been heavily linked with him in the past. The form of Alexander Mitrovic at Fulham, his fellow Serbian striker, shows how potentially he can fit into English football.
This certainly would be a last minute deal for Lampard and Everton, but with his footballing friendships including Ancelotti I would not rule out this loan deal taken place before the 11 pm transfer deadline.
Will the Toffees make a move for Luka Jovic?