Everton target Lewis Pirie urged to see ‘bigger picture’ by manager amid transfer speculation
If Everton are to secure Lewis Pirie’s signature, they’ll have to convince him to ignore his current Aberdeen coach Jim Goodwin.
Everton have been heavily linked with a move for 15-year-old Pirie [Daily Record], but current club Aberdeen are desperately trying to hold on to him.
Aberdeen will have to wait until Pirie is 16 to sign a professional contract, but Goodwin is worried that his star talent will be lured away before then.
“Young Lewis is a player that I really like,” said Goodwin, as quoted by the Press and Journal.
“I had a conversation with him recently as we were short of numbers on the Friday and brought him over to train with the first team.
“He is a young, exciting prospect and I just hope he can see his long-term future here at Aberdeen.
“Young players know they will get opportunities with me; that age doesn’t bother me. Fingers-crossed Lewis, along with all the other good young ones who are attracting attention, can see the bigger picture.”
Pirie’s decision
As much as Aberdeen are desperate to keep hold of Pirie, Everton and Frank Lampard have also shown plenty of trust in young players.
Anthony Gordon is the latest player to emerge from Everton’s academy and become a first-team star, and Pirie will be encouraged to follow a similar path should he choose to join the Toffees.
Being loyal is very rare in the modern game, and as commendable as it would be to see Pirie stay at Aberdeen, it’d be hard for him to turn down a huge Premier League move so early in his career.
It’d be a decision he could potentially regret for the rest of his career should he turn it down, so hopefully Goodwin’s comments are made in vain.
Everton aren’t the only top-flight team interested in him either, with Leeds United, Fulham and Brighton all apparently interested in his signature. [Daily Record]
Lampard will have his work cut out to try and convince Pirie that Goodison Park is the right option.