Toffees transfer news: 'Out of the blue' - Shock Everton development on 6 ft 2 star | OneFootball

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has admitted that Everton signing Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi on loan has caught him by surprise.

The two Premier League clubs have done business with each other twice this week, with Lucas Digne moving to Villa Park, before El Ghazi went in the opposite direction.

What's the latest transfer news involving El Ghazi?

Everton made two signings in the opening week of the transfer window when they added full-backs Vitaliy Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson to their ranks.

On Thursday evening, they completed another transfer, this time higher up the pitch, when they signed El Ghazi on loan until the end of the season.

What has O'Rourke said about Everton signing El Ghazi?

O'Rourke has been left shocked by El Ghazi joining Everton, and has claimed that the Toffees did not plan to bring in an attacker heading into the transfer window.

Talking about the 6 foot 2 forward moving to Goodison Park, O'Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “It’s come out of the blue really, this one. It was a position that I know that Everton weren’t really looking for or the management team weren’t looking for.”

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Have Everton made the right decision to sign another winger?

The club signed two wingers in the summer when they brought in Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend.

The former has arguably been Everton's brightest spark this term, while Townsend has also produced moments of quality cutting inside from the right flank.

With this in mind, the Merseyside club should perhaps be prioritising making improvements to other areas of their squad, particularly their central defence, which has looked all over the place at times.

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However, behind Gray and Townsend, Rafael Benitez's options on the wings appear limited, particularly if he continues to use Richarlison in a central area.

Therefore, adding some depth in this position could be a wise move, and El Ghazi, who has scored 15 Premier League goals in his career, has shown that he belongs at this level.

He will give the team another source of goals, which could be vital as Everton aim to push clear of the relegation places and into the top half of the table in the second half of the campaign.