OPINION
Everton are reportedly in the hunt to sign Club Brugge teenage sensation Noah Fadiga this summer.
The Sun claims that the Merseyside club alongside Premier League rivals Southampton are battling it out with Italian sides Roma and Genoa to secure the signature of the 17-year-old goalscoring midfielder.
The youngster currently has three years remaining on his current contract with the Belgian outfit.
Good move for Everton?
It feels that Everton boss Ronald Koeman is looking to bring in a number of young players to Goodison Park this summer.
Apart from the experienced head of Wayne Rooney, the Dutch manager has spent big money on the likes of Jordan Pickford, Sandro Ramirez and Davy Klaasssen who are all younger than 25.
Fadiga certainly fits into this category and it appears that Koeman believes that he can further develop his career on Merseyside and potentially become an important part of the first-team set-up in the near future.
The teenager only featured in five matches for the Under-21 Club Brugge squad last season but he certainly proved his quality as he notched up three goals from midfield in the process.
The fact that a side such as Roma are keeping tabs on him indicates that the youngster has the potential to become a decent player in many years to come.
If Everton can persuade him to join them ahead of the likes of Roma, it will certainly be a massive coup for the club as it would prove that they are heading in the right direction.
Fadiga is obviously not a player who can walk straight into the first-team and improve Everton’s chances of securing a top-four finish but he could add to the Everton Under-23 squad who won the Premier League title next season.
This Is Futbol rating: 6/10.
Likely to happen?
With Roma in the running, it would be surely be difficult for Everton to attract him to Goodison Park this summer.
However, the youngster’s father Khaliloi Fadiga spent two seasons of his footballing career playing for Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League and he could potentially encourage his son to experience top-flight English football.
The decision will ultimately come down to what the player himself wants to do but the Toffees should be fairly confident as they have a fine reputation of developing young talent with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jonjoe Kenny shining for the England national team in the Under-20 tournament this summer.
This Is Futbol rating: 5/10.