BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - JULY 19: Joshua King of AFC Bournemouth takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement prior to during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Southampton FC at Vitality Stadium on July 19, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
According to Sky Sports, Everton completed the signing of Norwegian international forward Joshua King from Bournemouth for a nominal fee on the winter deadline day.
The 29-year-old has put pen to paper on a short-term deal at Goodison Park until the end of the campaign with the Toffees having the option to extend the player’s stay. Fulham had also agreed on a deal to sign King but the Norwegian rejected the London outfit in favour of a move to Everton. (h/t Sky Sports)
King’s switch to Everton brings an end to his illustrious spell at Bournemouth that saw him register 53 goals and 19 assists in 184 appearances for the Cherries over five and a half seasons. He spent the majority of those years in the Premier League, becoming the club’s record goalscorer in the top-flight with 48 strikes.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been the key driving force behind Everton’s success in the Premier League this season. The England international currently tops the scoring charts at Goodison Park with 11 goals in 18 league games so far. He has been well supported by the likes of Richarlison and James Rodriguez in the final third.
However, neither player has been prolific in comparison to Calvert-Lewin. Richarlison and Rodriguez have shared just 6 goals between them so far this season. With designated back-ups Alex Iwobi and Bernard just scoring one apiece in the PL, it would be fair to say that Everton have lacked quality alternatives to reduce the workload on their regular starters.
Cenk Tosun served as the understudy to Calvert-Lewin following his return from injury but was clearly not trusted by Carlo Ancelotti to play a significant role. The Turk’s return to his former club Besiktas on loan last month opened the door for Everton to bring in a new centre-forward before the deadline.
Putting things into context, Everton’s deadline day deal for Joshua King comes as a massive boost to their hopes of pushing for a top-six finish this season. The Norwegian ticks several boxes as a proven goalscorer in the Premier League and would surely offer a lot more firepower up top than Bernard and Iwobi.
The 29-year-old operated in every conceivable attacking position over the course of his career at Bournemouth. King’s versatility would, therefore, allow Ancelotti to rotate his options across the forward line.
King’s searing pace and eye for goal is expected to add a different dimension to Everton’s attack. In fact, he could well be the ideal foil for a powerful target man like Calvert-Lewin.
His ability to play out wide on either flank means that the Norwegian would also offer valuable cover and competition for Richarlison and Rodriguez. Having said that, it’s easy to figure out why Everton look a much more potent attacking force with King now in the mix at Goodison Park.