Anjishnu Roy 19/03/2025 10comments  |  Jump to last

Jesper Lindstrom, on loan from Serie A outfit Napoli, has yet to find the back of the net for Everton since signing for the club last summer. In fact, he hasn’t scored a goal in 77 successive appearances. 

It is the longest goalless streak for a winger in European football putting the Dane ahead of Geovany Quenda of Sporting Lisbon (28 matches without scoring) and Kang-In Lee of Paris Saint-Germain (23 matches without scoring).

Before being loaned out to Everton, Lindstrom had endured a tough season at Napoli. He didn’t get a lot of playing time and in the 22 Serie A appearances he made, Lindstrom failed to register a goal or an assist.

"It's annoying, because you want to score goals and make assists as an offensive player, but I had a tough year in Napoli and am starting to find the rhythm here, so I'm not nervous. I have proven that I can score goals and create chances," the 25-year-old recently told Danish media.

Lindstrom had a difficult start to life at Goodison Park as well with former manager Sean Dyche not having him in his plans. Dyche often preferred Jack Harrison or Ashley Young on the flank over Lindstrom but the situation quickly changed following his exit.

Lindstrom became a regular in the Blues setup under David Moyes, but the Dane only registered his first goal contribution when he assisted Harrison’s opener against Wolves earlier this month.

Moyes has publicly asked for more from his wingers but Lindstrom is aware that he has the trust of the Scot. “Moyes has given me faith in things, and it has given me freedom that we have won some games,” he said.

“We are allowed to play more now than before, where it was a lot of running, running and running. It suits me a little more now than before. I have been given a more free role at Everton. The coach, the staff, the sporting director and those around me believe in me and want me to succeed. That means a lot.”

While he has had a topsy-turvy season so far, Lindstrom was called up to the Denmark national team for the first time in 18 months. The winger hopes to stay at Everton beyond the expiration of his loan deal. The Blues could end up extending his stay at Merseyside should they choose to meet his roughly £20m sale clause. His statistics, though, remain far from convincing.

 

Reader Comments (10)

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David Bromwell
1 Posted 19/03/2025 at 14:08:22
It's a shame because he seems to have a lot of attributes, and I enjoy watching him.

But the statistics are a worry and, if you asked me now if we should sign him, I would have to say No.

Ian Wilkins
2 Posted 19/03/2025 at 14:15:29
The stats don't lie, except for the fact a lot of his Napoli and Everton appearances have been as a substitute.

Some will argue he's not a winger, therefore out of position. For me, he's simply not Premier League standard. Never going to score a lot of goals or provide assists.

Thanks, Jesper, but this is an area where we need a significant upgrade next season.

Jay Harris
3 Posted 19/03/2025 at 14:19:57
He is a player for where we are not where we want to be.

He is hard working, skilful and has a good attitude but regrettably is not equipped for the upper echelons of the Premier League.

Michael Kenrick
4 Posted 19/03/2025 at 14:23:21
It's hard to pin his failure down to anything specific, and I'm not buying the 'out of position' claim.

He runs around in suitably determined fashion, chases the ball, gets good possession (although seems lightweight and can be easily brushed off the ball)… but it's that critical moment when he needs to do something meaningful with the ball that it all breaks down.

"The stats don't lie" — perhaps that's all that needs to be said.

Mike Gaynes
5 Posted 19/03/2025 at 16:19:56
Michael and Ian, I love stats, and I get told all the time here that they lie. Remember that when we bought McNeil, he had just gone through an entire 38-game season at Burnley without a single goal or assist. In fact his goalless streak reached 54 before he finally scored for us. Once he snapped out of it, he's had 27 goal involvements.

I'm not saying Lindstrom will do the same, but he's still the same guy who scored fairly often in the Bundesliga, and if Napoli would renegotiate that too-high £20m purchase price, I wouldn't mind if we kept him on as depth behind McNeil, Ndiaye, Alcaraz and whatever winger we sign this summer.

Colin Crooks
6 Posted 19/03/2025 at 16:28:38
Forget the stats if you cant see for yourself that this fella isn't good enough, there is no point in trying to make sense out of figures created by someone else.

Liam Mogan
7 Posted 19/03/2025 at 16:33:21
Tidy feet, decent control, willing runner but looks like a player totally devoid of confidence. Doesn't commit defenders and has little to no end product unfortunately.
Tony Abrahams
8 Posted 19/03/2025 at 16:39:36
I think the longer you are played out of position the worse your game will eventually become. I think this because when you play in your natural position you tend to do the things that come most naturally - easily, but when you’re played out of position, you don’t get the chance to do the things that come naturally - quite so often?

He’s never a winger, because he needs runners ahead of him, and I also don’t think he’s quite got the physicality for the EPL, but what a pass he played into Beto, just before Doucoure scored against United.

I don’t think Everton can be spending £20 million on this kid, especially because Moyes, hasn’t saw enough in him to play him in what I would term a more natural role?

Robert Tressell
9 Posted 19/03/2025 at 16:51:06
No big deal. Decent footballer had 2 strong but not amazing seasons for a very well put together Frankfurt side.

Has since failed to deliver at Napoli and Everton - during difficult seasons for each club.

A bit of this is being played in a less favoured position - but not entirely out of position by any stretch.

I think it's much more of an issue that we are hopeless at RB - because he needs a player (and we need a player) going on the outside of him.

It also seems that he's just not as good as his form at Frankfurt suggested.

Everton is the wrong club at the wrong time for him (as was Napoli). Probably best we part company and he builds himself back up somewhere else.

Ian Bennett
10 Posted 19/03/2025 at 17:12:40
£20m, not a chance in hell we are paying that.

I'd imagine he will go somewhere else on loan, France or Germany probably.

There's a big old world out there, and I'd rule out bringing him back on loan, even it was a cheap option. It would do the lad no good, and we just need to sort this right winger issue we've had for a decade or so.

Release:-
Doucoure
Holgate
Keane
Harrison
Broja
Dcl
Lindstrom
Young
Coleman
Begovic

Retain:-
Gana
Virginia
Alcaraz

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