The transfer window sometimes comes to nothing. This winter, Arnaut Danjuma experienced it. Strongly desired by Olympique Lyonnais who wanted to strengthen themselves on the wings, the Dutchman was seduced by the prospect of finding regular playing time a few months before Euro 2024. To finish convincing him, the Lagos native benefited from the advice of a certain Memphis Depay. Ready to join Lyon, the 27-year-old footballer had to wait, however, since the residents of Groupama Stadium had to convince Villarreal, the club to which he belongs, and Everton, the team which welcomed him on loan.
But the Toffees proved difficult. They were waiting to find Danjuma’s successor. The English had also made good progress on one track, before indicating to OL that they were interested in Jake O’Brien. But the people of Rhone closed the door. Finally, they recruited prospect Malick Fofana (18 years old) and Saïd Benrahma, who arrived from West Ham. Arnaut Danjuma saw OL move away for good. If a return of flame is not excluded in the future, the player under contract until 2026 will finish the season with the Liverpool Blues.
Little playing time and an injury
There, he had a turbulent last few weeks. Since our information on Lyon’s interest on December 29, he has played 5 matches in all competitions. In detail, he played 3 Premier League matches (Wolverhampton, Aston Villa and Fulham) and 2 FA Cup matches (Crystal Palace and Luton Town). The Dutchman started 3 times, spending 260 minutes on the pitch during the transfer window (0 goals). But things got complicated for him. On January 30, he injured his ankle during the match against the Cottagers (0-0).
Since then, he has been receiving treatment, having already missed 3 matches with his team. A few days ago, the footballer who was not spared from physical problems during his career, came out of silence to send a message to the supporters. “Thank you, loyal fans, for supporting me through all the trials. I was lucky enough to receive many messages wishing me all the best after I was injured. Fortunately, it’s not serious at all. So I should be back in no time. Your support fuels my resilience, and I’m working behind the scenes for a great comeback.”
A disappointing season so far
According to the English press, he should make his comeback during the month of March. The opportunity for him to get back on the pitch and play time. So far, he has played 20 games with Everton, but only 9 as a starter. Time to score 2 goals. The last one was on September 2, a little over 5 months ago. As for assists, he has yet to deliver any. The Liverpool Echo talks about a loan “frustrating in terms of lack of playing time” for the Dutchman. Journalist specializing in English football, Salim Baungally spoke to us about the situation in Danjuma.
“This is a special case. For several seasons, one club has wanted to take him, then another has wanted to make him a starter. In the end, we don’t really know where he is. At Everton he plays irregularly. He is sometimes a starter, sometimes a substitute, sometimes he is not in the squad. It’s a constant seesaw. Regarding its intrinsic performances, here too frankly it is amorphous. He is a shadow of who he was the two or three seasons he was good at Villarreal. He was on fire. He was even close to coming to West Ham at the time to become a key part on the left side. Ultimately, it was Benrahma who took advantage. At Everton, Danjuma is a shadow when he was a key player not so long ago.” The Dutchman promised supporters to come back strong. All he has to do is put words into action.
