After quite an encouraging season, which sees Merseyside club Everton qualify for the Europa League next season, the Toffees have some intricate transfer planning ahead of the summer window. They have some unusual and young targets lined up and are clearly looking ahead of everyone here.
If recent reports are to be believed, Everton are after Newcastle United’s 16-year-old Lewis Gibson and they are ahead of every other suitor in the race to sign him. The defender has earned some rave reviews playing for Newcastle’s Under-18 with top clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Southampton, Celtic as well as Arsenal, queueing up to get his signature.
But, Everton seems to have got that extra edge over unknown talents now, after the signing of former Leicester City scout Steve Walsh. After a pretty terrible first half to the season, which saw Everton in the midtable, the club has gained huge grounds under Dutch manager Ronald Koeman. With some prudent winter signings, it took only a few games for Everton to get back at their best.
And with some phenomenal displays from the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley, Everton are one of the best-performing sides in the Premier League in 2017. However, their resilient displays have been ineffective against bigger opponents like Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and Koeman will have to solve that before next season.
The defence has been a huge problem for the Toffees of late with some season-ending injuries to Seamus Coleman and Funes Mori. The team has been thinned at the back with the manager bringing back the old Phil Jagielka to fill the void. But, aged feet cannot cope with good attacks, as was evident from Chelsea’s thumping win last week and youth is the only way out.
Bringing in the likes of Gibson gives the manager the much-needed option to put them back to the underage competition as and when needed. Born in Stanley, Gibson is currently away on international duty with England under-17s, which is being held in Croatia. Making his debut with England’s U-17 side in September 2016, Gibson has already played 10 times for them scoring two goals in the process.
Mostly in the Newcastle Under-18 side, but Gibson’s impressive displays have also forced Peter Beardsley to ask for his services for the U-23s side. Everton are targeting some raw talent in the 16-18 age bracket with Walsh at the helm and Koeman is clearly laying the ground for a solid team in the future.
