Everton taking Arsenal attacking starlet on loan could be worth considering

Like other Premier League clubs - even clubs at the top end of the table like Arsenal - now have to watch their finances after what happened to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season.

So, along with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Chelsea, the Gunners might well look to sell a few players this summer who are surplus to first-team requirements to ensure they are comfortably clear of any potential PSR breaches.

One of those players is Eddie Nketiah. The 25-year-old Englishman has had little consistent opportunity in a star-studded Gunners attack and he is desperate for game-time, which looks very unlikely as Mikel Arteta seeks to add more new forwards this summer.

However, although Arsenal might sell a few players, Nketiah is one Arteta allegedly sees still having a long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.

That means the Gunners might well be more open to a loan rather than a sale and so this gives the Blues a possible chance despite other clubs being rumoured to be interested in the player.

Everton of course are operating on a financial tightrope with huge debts still to contend with and unless they can bring in some cash by the end of June too, another possible PSR breach lurking in the background.

On top of that the club still has no idea who will be the owner come the end of the summer, or if there will be one at all.

As a result of all this chaos and confusion, Kevin Thelwell and Sean Dyche are going to have to be very savvy in their transfer market dealings, and loans will be a big part of that.

Nketiah's stats are intriguing. He only made ten starts in the Premier League but scored five goals - which is of course a goal every two games - and most of those came when he did start.

This suggests he needs time to get into his stride and isn't likely to be a sort of 'super-sub' who can come on and quickly change a game.

In one sense then that does not seem to fit with what Dyche will likely be looking for as he would probably want a player he can bring off the bench to affect a match rather than a starting striker.

This though both assumes Dominic Calvert-Lewin (if he is still first-choice) stays at the Toffees and that Dyche continues with his favoured 4-4-1-1 formation.

Even if Calvert-Lewin stays at Goodison Park, I think that next season he is going to need more direct support alongside him to ensure both he and Everton can produce more goals.

In the last campaign the Blues only found the net on forty occasions, which was the second worse goals-for record in the Premier League, above only bottom club Sheffield United.

And Calvert-Lewin endured a goal drought that threatened to become almost terminal for his team's chances as he failed to score for just over five months.

True the Toffees had the League's forth best defence, but that is not guaranteed to be the case again, especially if Jarrad Branthwaite leaves.

While it seems highly probable that Dyche will look to continue with the basic formula that kept Everton up in the last campaign, I think the team will have to score more goals to avoid another close shave with relegation next season.

I have advocated for two strikers up front, even if that meant pushing someone like Abdoulaye Docuoure right up alongside whoever starts at centre-forward.

But Doucoure's effectiveness in an attacking role fell away considerably in the second half of last season and so I think it is necessary to look at moving to a 4-4-2 at least.

There are a few players potentially available this summer such as Elijah Adebayo of Luton who I think could provide just that.

As always though the Blues are hampered by financial constraints and so may not be able to afford an outright transfer fee for him and also reinforce in other areas too.

Bringing in a forward player on loan with no transfer fee, everything to prove and a chance to play regular first-team Premier League football, might just be worth a punt.