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Several options for new man Danjuma in line up for Everton next season

By Matt Townsend

CARTAGENA, SPAIN - JANUARY 03: Arnaut Danjuma of Villarreal CF in action during the Copa del Rey Round of 32 match between FC Cartagena and Villarreal CF at Estadio Cartagonova on January 03, 2023 in Cartagena, Spain. (Photo by Silvestre Szpylma/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
CARTAGENA, SPAIN - JANUARY 03: Arnaut Danjuma of Villarreal CF in action during the Copa del Rey Round of 32 match between FC Cartagena and Villarreal CF at Estadio Cartagonova on January 03, 2023 in Cartagena, Spain. (Photo by Silvestre Szpylma/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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Having at last made his first attacking signing, where will new boy Arnaut Danjuma play for Sean Dyche and Everton next season?

The six month long pursuit by the Blues of the Dutch forward finally came to an end this week as Danjuma put pen to paper on a season long loan deal.

As everyone knows, Everton desperately need to improve their chronically anemic attack before the new campaign kicks off in about three week’s time.

Tonight, in the club’s latest summer warm up match the albeit scatch side played out a goalless game at Bolton with one of the Toffees senior strikers Neal Maupay, yet again drawing a blank.

Although it is still early days in pre-season, there are ominous signs already that Everton are again going to struggle for goals in the upcoming campaign.

So, it is to be fevently hoped the former Valencia man can help solve this dire problem.

Danjuma is a very versatile attacking player and this is one of the reasons why Dyche and of course his predecessor Frank Lampard, were keen to get him.

His best positions appear to be either operating as a left-sided attacker in a front three or at centre-forward leading the line.

When playing wide on the left he can cut inside into his favoured right foot as so many modern forwards do these days.

In 229 total professional appearances Danjuma has netted seventy-five times. That is just over one goal every three matches, which while it is not brilliant, isn’t too bad either.

Strangely, his best competition is arguably the toughest; the Champions League. In that he scored seven goals from fourteen appearances, a goal exactly every two games.

Everton of course are highly unlikely to be offering him a chance to add to that tally anytime soon!

There are some conundrums for Dyche to sort out when it comes to how he will deploy his new attacker in the search for more goals.

The first is tactical. Generally last season, the Blues boss went with a 4-5-1 formation that was designed to maximise the Toffees ability to compete and control games in midfield and protect a dangerously porus backline.

Dyche didn’t really diviate from that until injury forced him into making changes and he doesn’t seem to like the 4-3-3 system, although we have seen it in pre-season.

The player who usually operated on the left side of that formation and team, was Dwight McNeil.

After a poor start to his Everton career under the man who actually signed him, Lampard, he thrived once his former Burnley manager took over and finished as the team’s top scorer with seven.

Although McNeil can play on both flanks, it would seem silly to see him shifted from where he has been at his most effective.

The former Clarets youth product put in so many good quality balls, usually from the left (very rarely taken advantage of though) and enjoyed a productive time in front of goal too.

So, as Danjuma isn’t the same threat it appears playing on the right side, on balance I think the best use of him will be as a central striker.

Given his recent history, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is certain to miss large chunks of next season with injury – if he is ever fit again for a start!

On top of that, the club are struggling to bring in another out-and out striker, and while we all hope that will change, it could well be that the Dutchman will end up playing centre-forward, by default.