On Monday night, when Tottenham dropped crucial points in their pursuit of the top four, Arnaut Danjuma once more showed a dissatisfied side to him on the sidelines.
The Netherlands international travelled to Merseyside to play Everton, and during the match at Goodison Park, he met the team he nearly joined on loan from Villarreal after the January transfer window.
Danjuma was on track to join the Toffees till the end of the season, but the club made a late bid for the dynamic forward to help maintain their offensive options for the remainder of the season, and Danjuma ended up moving to Tottenham.
The 26-year-old so far has not made any significant impression for his new team since moving, with Antonio Conte’s significant lack of pitch time being the primary factor.
Danjuma has played only four times for Spurs so far, but his only Premier League action came in the last 11 minutes of a 4-1 drubbing at Leicester City at the beginning of February. Since switching teams, the former Bournemouth player has only been used as a substitute seven times in the league.
Danjuma wasn’t used by the Italian in the latter stages at Goodison Park, giving the impression that things would change for him under new interim head coach Cristian Stellini. When Son Heung-min was substituted at 82 minutes, Lucas Moura was the player chosen over him.
The recurring selection of Lucas over Danjuma over the past two months, despite the knowledge that he’d be would be leaving Tottenham at the end of the season, has been a source of discontent for Tottenham fans.
The Dutchman’s loan period ends at the end of the season, so the same might be said about him, but he is playing for his future because Spurs have the option to buy him under the contract they signed with Villarreal.
Lucas was given eight minutes to help Tottenham finish the game, but he would only play for six of them before getting sent off for a reckless tackle on Michael Keane. Many supporters were disappointed as the 30-year-old was introduced before Danjuma once more.
Danjuma could finally see an increase in playing time in the Premier League since Lucas is now likely to spend some time watching from the sidelines due to his three-match suspension after receiving a red card.
Now it is up to Stellini to give Danjuma the chance he has been waiting for since leaving Villarreal at the end of January. Since Conte had previously shown no indication that he wanted to include him in the lineup, his former assistant head coach must make his own judgment on whether or not the Netherlands star will play a significant part in the season’s remaining nine league games.
Time is one thing that is rapidly running out for Danjuma and Tottenham. If Spurs’ recent results against Southampton and Everton are any indication, they won’t be competing in Europe’s top tournament in 2023 or 2024 Stellini needs to find a way to bring the club back on track. Otherwise, if their recent performances against Southampton and Everton are any indication, they won’t.
After what occurred at Goodison Park on Monday night, the cries for Danjuma are only going to become louder. What’s the worst that might happen, given their current predicament?
