A front-runner has emerged as Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton battle to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Christian Kofane.
All three Premier League teams have their own reasons for wanting to sign a new striker. The Gunners may need to bring in a replacement for Gabriel Jesus, who has been linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Indeed, David Moyes’ side are looking for a new striker after Tierno Barry failed to make an impact, scoring just eight goals despite playing every game on his Premier League debut.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United signed Nick Waltemaide and Yoan Wissa last summer, but the pair have scored just nine goals at the top level, with both facing potential departures.
Football Fancast Verdict | |
|---|---|
reliability | All three teams have good reasons for wanting to sign a new striker. Arsenal could use further depth next season as they aim to compete on all fronts, but there is no doubt that Everton and Newcastle made the wrong selection in the striker department last summer. |
finances | The deal could be very expensive as Bayer Leverkusen could keep him for up to £86 million. That said, the Gunners could be able to spend big if they have a successful 2025-26 season, while Newcastle could generate huge amounts of money by selling the likes of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães. |
insight | Scout Jacek Kulig described the Leverkusen star as “one of the most exciting strikers in the world”, and he scored five goals and provided five assists in 29 Bundesliga appearances last season. |
impact | Kofane may have a hard time breaking into Arsenal’s starting XI, given that he will be competing for a starting spot with Victor Gokeres and Champions League final goalscorer Kai Havertz, but he could easily break into Moyes and Eddie Howe’s side, given that both lacked a consistent striker last season. |
Christian Cofane named frontrunner in race
African Foot report that Everton are currently leading the race to sign Cofane, having recently made a concrete offer.
They have confirmed that Arsenal, Newcastle and Barcelona are chasing the forward, and it was reported last month that the centre-forward wanted to move to Arsenal, but the Toffees are now said to be trying to hijack the deal.
Christian Cofane could be risky to sign for Everton
Everton definitely need to sign a new striker this summer, considering that none of Moyes’ players reached double figures for goals in the Premier League last season.
However, bringing in the Cameroonian may be a gamble considering he is only 19 years old and inexperienced.
The teenager, who played for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and Albacete in La Liga 2, has scored 15 goals in 64 games, but this is not the kind of return that suggests he is ready for a big move.
There are a number of other options on the Toffees’ shortlist, including Chelsea’s Liam Delap, who scored 12 Premier League goals for Ipswich Town in 2024-25.
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