Everton are reportedly weighing up Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior this summer, though could face competition from Aston Villa.
The 19-year-old ‘assist machine’ who has been compared to AC Milan star Rafael Leao is reportedly available for £21.5m, with Everton considering making an approach.
That is according to Calcio Mercato, who report that Juve may prioritise raising capital through player sales this summer, with Iling-Junior potentially departing Turin.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have the edge over Everton at the minute, as the Midlands club can offer the 19-year-old European football after qualifying for the Europa Conference League last season.
However, if Everton can tempt the young player to Goodison Park, it could be a very exciting addition to Sean Dyche’s squad, with Juve reportedly after a fee of around £21.5m for the teenager.
Samuel Iling-Junior transfer could be an indicator that Everton are learning from recent transfer window mistakes
Indeed, alongside the potential signing of Youssef Chermiti, Iling-Junior could represent a change in the transfer strategy that has plagued the club for a few seasons.
Rather than spending big on Premier League cast-offs, the arrival of prodigious and malleable talents would be an exciting change in direction, with shades of how the likes of Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion have recruited.
A product of Chelsea’s academy, Iling-Junior moved to Juve in 2020 after attracting interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund and PSG.
The winger was then named in The Guardian’s list of the 60 best talents born in the year 2003, as was fellow Everton target Wilfred Gnonto, who played for FC Zurich at the time.
Indeed, recruiting players with longevity and potential resale value could see the club start to recover from the financial mess it has got itself into, while also forming some kind of identity on the pitch.