Everton return to Jaden Philogene as January transfer position explained

Everton return to Jaden Philogene as January transfer position explained

Everton are understood to be exploring the potential for a move for the Aston Villa winger

Jaden Philogene of Aston Villa in action during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Villa Park. Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images

Everton are understood to have renewed their interest in winger Jaden Philogene. The 22-year-old was a target in the summer , when his representatives travelled to the Blues’ Finch Farm training ground to hold talks as he weighed up approaches from Everton and Ipswich Town.

In the end, former club Aston Villa swept in at the eleventh hour by triggering the buy-back option they inserted into the deal when they sold him to Hull City.

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But he has struggled for minutes since his move to the Midlands and Everton hope there might be an opening for a deal. The club has a strong, established relationship with Villa.

The right side of midfield was identified as a key area for Everton to address in the summer, with work to add options there continuing even after a deal was agreed for Jack Harrison to return on loan from Leeds United. Philogene and Wilfried Gnonto of Leeds United were both pursued but Everton were eventually forced to look elsewhere, instead signing Jesper Lindstrom on loan from Napoli.

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Both Harrison and Lindstrom have struggled to make an impression during a season in which Everton are enduring miserable form going forward.

Despite the completion of the takeover by The Friedkin Group last month, the club is still wary of its proximity to the parameters of spending regulations as it assesses its options in the January transfer window.

That is relevant as Everton do not have the option of another domestic loan with the two slots currently filled by Harrison and Armando Broja. Unless anything changes in relation to those deals, any move for Philogene would have to be permanent.

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There is a belief that some business could be done if the club is savvy though, and attention appears to have turned to Philogene.

The player is understood to have significant loan interest and Villa, having regretted his initial sale, hold a belief in his abilities. But club chiefs also acknowledge that he may not get the opportunities he needs to flourish at Villa Park, where he has featured just 11 times in the league this season, almost entirely from the bench. He did, however, play 90 minutes in the Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

The challenge for Everton will be in convincing Villa to part ways with a player they value, on terms they can afford. The relationship between the clubs could offer hope of success on that front. The two clubs worked closely in June, when Tim Iroegbunam moved to Everton and Lewis Dobbin in the other direction in transfers that helped both clubs’ position in relation to Profit and Sustainability Regulations. Amadou Onana was later sold to Villa by Everton in the summer in another deal that was favourable to both clubs .

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Everton’s position could also be boosted by player sales. While the club is reluctant to allow senior players to leave in this window there is an understanding of the need to be pragmatic, with the likes of Beto reportedly attracting interest. The forward’s immediate future will likely be impacted by the response of Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti to the injuries they each picked up last week, both having just returned from long lay-offs.

The interest in Philogene represents the latest example of director of football Kevin Thelwell’s willingness to keep monitoring a player even if Everton have initially missed out on his signature - Arnaut Danjuma and Iliman Ndiaye were both signed for the Blues after the club lost a previous battle for them.

Any permanent deal would also add another promising talent to the core of young players currently set to be part of Everton’s transition to the new stadium in the summer.

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As it stands, more than a dozen senior players are set to leave in the summer when their contracts expire but Philogene, if a deal can be agreed, would join the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Iliman Ndiaye in being part of the group set to remain.

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