Everton are reportedly interested in signing 22-year-old Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze from La Liga club Villarreal this summer.
According to a report by The Athletic, Everton’s search for dynamic wide players has taken them to La Liga, where Samuel Chukwueze has emerged as a target. The 22-year-old Nigerian speedster is among a bevy of wingers on the Toffees’ radar over a move in the summer transfer window.
Samuel Chukwueze joined Villarreal from the Diamond Football Academy in 2017 before breaking into their first-team setup a year later. Since then, the 22-year-old has established himself as a regular in the side, racking up 119 appearances to date for the Yellow Submarine while chipping in with 17 goals and as many assists.
The youngster’s progress over the last three years has certainly not gone unnoticed, with several big name clubs across Europe showing a lot of interest in him in recent times, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. As things stand, though, none of those clubs are hot on the trails of Chukwueze, with Everton keen on signing him instead.
The interest from Everton makes a lot of sense, considering Bernard is facing an uncertain future at Goodison Park while Alex Iwobi has rarely ever set the stage alight with his performances. In addition, young Anthony Gordon is yet to take off in the first-team setup, leaving Richarlison as the only viable wide option for the Toffees.
However, Richarlison has been heavily linked with a possible summer departure himself, with ex-Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti keen on a reunion at Real Madrid. As a result, it is hardly surprising that the Merseyside club have been linked with a number of wide attackers, and it will not come as a shock if they sign multiple wingers.
Some of the targets for Everton include Allan Saint-Maximin, Demarai Gray and Hwang Hee-chan, with Andros Townsend set to arrive at Goodison Park soon. And the latest player on Everton’s radar is Chukwueze, who has many admirers at the club and is being viewed as one of several options to make a move for.
For now, the 22-year-old is just one in a pool of several dynamic wide attackers that Everton are targeting and it will be interesting to see if he becomes their priority. An intriguing summer window is upon the Toffees as they look to create a formidable squad for Rafael Benitez.
