According to a recent report by Turkish Football, Everton have sent scouts to catch Schalke 04 defender Gorkem Can in action and ESPN has backed the claim by stating that the Toffees are monitoring the progress of the Bundesliga starlet ahead of a potential move in the near future.
The 18-year-old has caught the eye with a number of outstanding displays for the German outfit’s Under-19 team during this campaign. He has enjoyed a rich vein of form at the youth level this season, and his incredible contributions on the pitch have helped his team climb to the 2nd spot of the Bundesliga Under-19 table, with just a point separating them from the Under-19 league leaders, Borussia Dortmund.
Can has featured in 20 matches for Norbert Elgert’s side this term and has four goals and one assist to his name across all competitions. He has also managed to represent Germany in the Under-16 and Under-17 levels, however, the youngster will now represent Turkey at the Under-19 level which has thrown his allegiance to German football in doubt.
The Gelsenkirchen born talent is quite versatile as he primarily operates as a centre-half but can also fill in as a left-back if needed which makes him such as invaluable asset for Schalke. Moreover, Can is an accurate distributor of the ball and knows how to play out from the back which makes him a good fit for Marco Silva’s brand of football at the blue half of Merseyside.
The addition of Can will undoubtedly bolster Silva’s defensive options at Goodison Park in a few years time, but for now, the German teenager seems like he is not ready for first-team football just yet. Maybe in a few years, he can be promoted to the first-team if he can continue improving his game on the pitch.
With Phil Jagielka set to turn 37 later this year, Can could potentially be a long-term replacement for the English centre-back. However, he still has a long way to go before he is ready to play in Silva’s starting XI. Hence, the Toffees should consider making a bid for the German starlet as he could be a shrewd long-term acquisition for the Merseyside outfit.
