Everton have reportedly been in contact with Manchester United and have made a bid for winger Anthony Elanga.
According to BBC, the Toffees have offered a fee somewhere in the region of £15 million for the Swedish forward as he is reported to be on United’s transfer list.
Everton also enquired about Elanga in the January transfer window of 2023 and the Swede was close to joining the club on a loan but the deal seemed to collapse. They are now hoping to sign him on a permanent basis.
It has been reported that United manager Erik Ten Hag has signed off on letting Elanga leave amidst the club’s dire need to raise money. Due to FFP complications, they are in a situation where they need to sell players to raise money for new transfers.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that many clubs showed interest in Elanga, especially in Germany but Everton are now favourites to land the 21-year-old’s signature.
Elanga was part of the United youth academy from the age of 14 after he came over from Sweden. He made his senior debut in 2021 and burst into the first team under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
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After an impressive debut season, he failed to shine under Ten Hag, who took over in 2022. He only played 26 games last season without scoring any goals. He has scored only 4 goals in his 55 appearances for the club.
Everton have prioritised the signing of a wide player since the beginning of this transfer window and now it looks like Elanga is set to be their man. At 21, he is still young but has not yet showcased his skills regularly enough in the Premier League.
The Swede does still have a lot of potential though as can be seen by his consistent selections for his national team. He has made 12 appearances for Sweden and played more often for them than United in the later parts of the season.
He was also considered to be one of the best young talents in the league only just a year ago when he was the only shining light in United’s abysmal 2021/22 campaign.
Everton and Dyche’s pursuit of Elanga may be a risk but could prove to be an intelligent decision as the player is available for a fair price after a poor showing last season.
The Toffees have already signed veteran Ashley Young as a free agent and Elanga could potentially become the second signing in the Dyche era at Goodison Park.
