Everton raid on Man Utd takes big next step with contact made over January deal for ‘frustrated’ winger

An attacker could swap Manchester United for Everton in the January transfer window after Frank Lampard’s side reportedly initiated contact over the deal.

Man Utd have enjoyed a successful return to action following the World Cup break. They beat Burnley 2-0 in the Carabao Cup in their first game back and have since registered successive Premier League wins over Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

Marcus Rashford, Antony Martial and Fred all got on the scoresheet during a comfortable 3-0 win against Forest. And on New Year’s Eve, the Red Devils beat Wolves thanks to a Rashford winner.

The forward was dropped from the starting eleven in the build up to the game after oversleeping and missing a pre-match meeting. But he made amends by coming off the bench at half time and firing home the winner.

Erik ten Hag’s side will be hoping to continue their winning run when they come up against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

Everton are going through a much more troublesome period than Man Utd. They have scored just 13 times in the league this season and sit in 16th place, one point above the bottom three.

The Toffees lost 2-1 to Wolves on Boxing Day. Although, they did extremely well to hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in their last outing.

Everton will want to build on that game by picking up a decent result when Brighton travel to Goodison Park on Tuesday evening.

Everton want Man Utd player

Man Utd’s good form means some players are not getting a look in under Ten Hag. And with Everton lacking threat in the final third, it is no surprise they are looking at a Man Utd forward for inspiration.

On December 27, it was revealed Everton had begun expressing an interest in wide man Anthony Elanga.

And Football Insider have now given an update on the situation. They claim Everton’s pursuit of the attacker has reached the next stage, with Toffees chiefs contacting their Man Utd counterparts to begin initial talks about a January deal.

Everton have let Man Utd know they are interested in signing Elanga and want to find out what they will need to do to sign him.

When Everton were first linked with the 20-year-old, it was claimed a loan deal would be the most likely scenario.

Anthony Elanga may join Everton permanently

However, Football Insider suggest a permanent move could actually be on the cards. Man Utd rate Elanga at £18million, so if Everton match this fee they can take him to Merseyside on a long-term deal.

While leaving Man Utd for Everton would be a step down for Elanga, he may well be considering the switch. He is becoming ‘frustrated’ with his lack of game time under Ten Hag. The Swede has managed 16 appearances in all competitions this season, though most of these have come from the bench. Indeed, Elanga is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the league this campaign.

As Everton’s forwards options are weaker than Man Utd’s, Elanga would probably play more under Lampard. He could provide competition and backup for the likes of Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray.

It is now up to Everton to get this move over the line. They know they must bid £18m to get Man Utd to sign off on his departure.

Everton must also match the player’s wage demands. This should not be too hard, as Spotrac claim he is one of the lowest earners at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are reportedly among the list of Prem clubs eyeing an impressive Everton ace.