Report: Everton defender to sign new contract
One of the tenets of being a top club is to constantly invest in youth, it’s one of the main reasons why big teams stay big.
Everton have aspirations to reach the highest level, of course, which means it’s crucially important that they keep their best young talent.
That’s why the contract situation with young Toffees defender Lewis Gibson was such an issue; he’s currently slated to leave the club when his deal expires at the end of the season.
However, The Liverpool Echo reported on Tuesday that the 19-year-old is now ready to put pen to paper this week on fresh terms at Goodison Park.
Talks with the centre back have taken place at pace in recent weeks, and now it appears that an agreement has been secured.
He will then look to seal a loan move before Friday’s transfer deadline, with clubs from Europe, the Championship and League One sniffing around him.
Director of football Marcel Brands is thought to have guaranteed Gibson a pathway to the first team, something he was previously unconvinced by.
Can Gibson become a first team star on Merseyside?
He certainly has every chance to. This is a really talented young man who the Toffees were convinced enough by to spend £6million on him a couple of years ago.
The fact that he was unsure of whether he was going to get first team chances at Everton shows that he’s switched on. He knows what’s going on around him and is aware of the direction his career is taking.
Brands’ conviction and ability to convince Gibson of his future is a sign that the Blues are moving in the right direction, towards a place where they bring through top young talent on a regular basis.
In other Everton news, the club’s high-profile pursuit of a Brazilian playmaker now looks doomed to fail.