Harrison Armstrong has hit the jackpot as Euro giants plot transfer for Everton star
Harrison Armstrong has emerged as a genuine first-team option at Everton in recent weeks.
The 19-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan in the Championship with Preston North End, but was then recalled at the start of January amid an injury crisis at his parent club.
Armstrong has started for Everton in three consecutive games across Premier League and FA Cup action, and his performances have drawn plenty of praise so far.
David Moyes has shown plenty of faith in the midfielder and has trusted him to take on a key role in the engine room, and it looks as though the starlet is now set to reap the benefits even further.
Lazio eye last-minute move for Everton midfielder
Armstrong is unlikely to be loaned out by Everton again in this window, with his recent displays sufficient to see Moyes convinced that he is deserving of a regular spot in the matchday squads.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s imminent return from injury will provide further competition for the homegrown talent in the middle of the park, but with one man returning to the fold, another could be on his way out.
Lazio have got their sights set on signing Tim Iroegbunam from Everton before the upcoming 2 February transfer deadline, according to Gianluca Di Marzio via his X account.
The European giants are struggling down in ninth in Serie A at the moment, and they view the Toffees midfielder as an ideal target to help them strengthen for the second half of the season.
News of the interest from the Italian capital club will surely have Armstrong feeling that he has hit the jackpot at Everton.
He has already begun to prove himself to his manager, and Moyes could now be about to lose another of his midfield options, potentially leaving the youngster in line for even more minutes moving forward.
Why the Toffees may choose to cash in on Tim Iroegbunam
Everton fans have criticised Iroegbunam for his performances at times in recent months, and the club may be about to show their ruthless side and cash in on him in January.
The former Aston Villa man is set to enter the final year of his contract in the summer, at which point the risk of potentially losing him on a free transfer will begin to approach on the horizon.
Moyes now has Idrissa Gana Gueye back in the fold after his recent return from AFCON, while Dewsbury-Hall and James Garner are both ahead of Iroegbunam in the pecking order.
Armstrong’s emergence has seemingly excited everyone at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Moyes and his coaching staff will be desperate to ensure that they don’t stunt his progress at all in the coming years.
Too much traffic for him to break through in the midfield is one way that could potentially happen, and as a result, the chance to clear some of that with the sale of Iroegbunam may prove too good to refuse.