As well as being rivals to stay in the Premier League, Everton and Southampton are going head to head on transfer deadline day to land Kamaldeen Sulemana. With just 15 points apiece from 20 matches, the two clubs are propping up the division with only a superior goal difference of minus 13 to minus 18 currently keeping Everton off the bottom.
The two clubs’ fortunes could also be shaped by which new recruits they land before 11pm tonight with it understood that they have now both had £22million offers accepted for Rennes winger Sulemana. A Ghanaian international who turns 21 next month, he joined the French side from Danish club Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2021 and has netted six goals in 45 matches for them.
While Everton had always targeted two attacking recruits this month – before the £45million sale of Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United – Kevin Thelwell has so far been unable to get any incoming deals over the line after Tottenham Hotspur hijacked the move for Arnaut Danjuma, leaving the director of football facing a hectic first January deadline day at the club.
