A frontrunner has now emerged as Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton battle it out to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Christian Kofane.
The three Premier League sides have different reasons for wanting to sign a new striker – the Gunners may need to bring in a replacement for Gabriel Jesus, who himself has been linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Indeed, David Moyes‘ side are searching for a new striker, as Thierno Barry struggled to make an impact during his debut Premier League campaign, scoring just eight goals, despite featuring in every single match.
Newcastle United, on the other hand, signed both Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last summer, but they scored just nine top flight goals between them and have both been linked with an exit.
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Football FanCast’s Verdict |
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Credibility |
All three sides have valid reasons for wanting to sign a new striker. Arsenal could do with additional strength in depth, as they look to compete on all fronts again next season, whereas Everton and Newcastle arguably got their recruitment wrong in the striker department last summer. |
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Finances |
A deal could be very expensive, as Bayer Leverkusen could hold out for as much as £86m. That said, the Gunners may be able to splash the cash after a successful 2025-26 campaign, while Newcastle could generate serious money from selling the likes of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. |
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Insight |
Scout Jacek Kulig has described the Leverkusen star as “one of the world’s most exciting strikers”, and he chipped in with five goals and five assists in 29 Bundesliga matches last season. |
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Impact |
Kofane may find it difficult to get into Arsenal’s starting XI, considering he would be competing for a starting spot with Viktor Gyokeres and Champions League final goalscorer Kai Havertz, whereas breaking into Moyes’ or Eddie Howe’s side may be easier, given that they both lacked a consistent striker last season. |
Frontrunner named in race for Christian Kofane
According to a report from Africa Foot, Everton are now leading the race for Kofane’s signature, having recently submitted a concrete offer.
They confirm Arsenal, Newcastle and Barcelona are all chasing the foward, and last month it was reported the centre-forward wanted to join Arsenal, but the Toffees are now attempting to hijack that deal.
Christian Kofane could be risky signing for Everton
Everton undoubtedly need to sign a new striker this summer, considering none of Moyes’ players managed to reach double figures for goals in the Premier League last season.
However, bringing in the Cameroonian could be a gamble, considering he still remains inexperienced at just 19-years-old.
Across spells with Bundesliga side Leverkusen and Albacete in La Liga 2, the teenager has bagged 15 goals in 64 matches, which isn’t exactly a return that suggests he is ready for a big move.
There are plenty of other options on the shortlist for the Toffees, including Chelsea’s Liam Delap, who bagged 12 Premier League goals for Ipswich Town in the 2024-25 campaign.
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