Everton defender Thierry Small has been subject to plenty of media attention over the past few days, with the young star’s future attracting plenty of interest.
Earlier this week The Express reported that Small could look to snub an offer of a professional contract from Everton as he aims to earn more first-team experience elsewhere.
The Liverpool Echo however downplayed the report, claiming that contract negotiations between Everton and Small were continuing as planned.
The 16-year old left-back is currently undergoing a scholarship with the Toffees, however once he turns 17 in August he will be eligible to sign his first professional terms.
Mail Online report that should Small opt to sign professionally with someone other than Everton, the Blues will be entitled to receive a fee of around just £1million in compensation.
However the talented full-back could be worth much more than that if he can live up to his potential.
Having been compared to Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies in the past [Mail Online], Small has earned plenty of admirers during his extremely short career.
Coming off the bench during Everton’s FA Cup victory over Sheffield Wednesday in January, the young defender would become the club’s youngest ever player, beating Jose Baxter’s record by 15 days.
Small had attracted interest long before making his debut however, with Juventus and Bayern Munich said to be keen in November of last year.
Manchester United and Arsenal are just two of a number of Premier League clubs to have had their interest piqued in recent weeks, and the sheer amount of attention that Small has received should alone indicate his future potential.
Everton Under-23s manager David Unsworth previously spoke about Small’s pathway into the first-team [Liverpool Echo], suggesting that the defender has the ability to become a Premier League player for the Blues.
Given Small’s first-team potential and the amount of interest in the player, Everton would certainly find themselves short-changed if he went for as little as £1million this summer.
Ultimately it depends on whether Small wishes to stick it out and wait for his chance at Goodison Park, but Everton should certainly do all they can to ensure he remains on Merseyside.
In other Everton news, The Athletic reported Gregg O’Keeffe has hinted at Everton forward’s likely summer exit from Goodison Park.
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