Matthew Malon seals Everton exit with Blackburn move in the works
Matthew Malon, 18, has reportedly sealed a mid-season exit from Everton as he is eyeing alternatives for his development.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the young right-back had conversations over his future as his scholarship was set to end this summer.
However, they did not prove to be fruitful, which saw him leaving the club and Blackburn Rovers appears to be his next club and he's likely to join them in July.
Trouble?
Everton have been finding it hard to retain the services of their academy players who are leaving for better opportunities elsewhere.
Finch Farm used to be a fabled place where talent was bred but that's not looking to be the case anymore.
Per the Echo report mentioned above, Mallon is an "Exciting" defender who had been impressing for David Unsworth's side.
He thrived in the under-18s as well before eventually moving to the under-23s.
The next logical step seemed first-team football and given how woeful some of the senior defenders have been, he could have gotten his chance sooner rather than later.
However, it appears that Blackburn could have guaranteed him first-team football which is what tempted him to jump ship.
He had even captained the under-18s on a number of occasions so this is a potential big voice in the dressing room that the Toffees have let slip away.