According to L’Equipe, Fraser Hornby is ‘about to finalise’ a €2m move to Stade de Reims. The 20-year-old will sign a contract at the Stade Auguste-Delaune for ‘four years’, ending a six-year association with Everton.
Hornby has struggled for playing time at Goodison Park and has sought a loan move away to get first-team football. The striker finds himself behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Cenk Tosun and Oumar Niasse in the pecking order, so it’s no surprise that Everton are selling him.
Before the season was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Reims finished fifth in Ligue 1 with 41 points from 28 games. They’ve struggled for goals (28), however, so their pursuit for an attacker makes sense.
Hornby joined the Toffees from Northampton in 2014 and has gone on to make only one appearance in all competitions. He’s scored 16 goals and made three assists in 20 games for the U18s while boasting eight goals and three assists in 30 games for the U23s.
The 20-year-old has represented Scotland at U17 (eight games), U19 (eight games, three goals) and U21 (13 games, six goals) level too, but his first taste of competitive action at senior level has been disappointing. Hornby scored four goals and made one assist on loan at KV Kortrijk, but he’s amassed only 157 minutes of playing time in their last 18 games.
Everton have better strikers at their disposal and are targeting a new centre-forward to further strengthen ahead of next season, so Hornby would likely be on the periphery unless he left.