There was a time where Samuel Chukwueze was very close to signing for Everton, as the Toffees were trying to bolster their attack.
The Nigeria international was once one step away from signing at Goodison Park, only for the deal to never materialise.
Now, AS in Spain highlight how important the winger has been to Villarreal of late, and it’s clear why Everton wanted him in the first place.
While he didn’t score at the weekend, he was the one that was brought down for a penalty in the 2-0 win over Real Sociedad, which, added to his three assists and three goals in his last six games, has helped his team climb up the table and make that sixth spot their own.
Villarreal are now unbeaten in their last five games, and a big reason for that is the Nigerian winger.
Meanwhile, Everton have struggled to find goals this season, and while the arrival of Sean Dyche has seen them get a few better results than they were previously getting under Frank Lampard, they have only found the back of the net 22 times in 28 games.
Chukwueze was a man they had highlighted to try and improve that, but their failure to capitalise on the opportunity late last summer has proven to be a blessing for Villarreal, who will now be glad the move never went through.
