Everton contesting Chelsea and Arsenal for German youth star

Everton haven’t been shy in the last few years about acquiring talented young defenders. John Stones began the trend way back when, Mason Holgate continued it later on, and then there was Nathangelo Markelo and Lewis Gibson just this season.

If ESPN are to to be believed, that trend is set to continue, as the Blues are interested in Hamburg youngster Josha Vagnoman.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton are battling a number of German sides for Hamburg defender Josha Vagnoman, sources have told ESPN FC.

Vagnoman is regarded as as one of the brightest young talents in German football, making his senior debut against Bayern Munich at the age of just 17 years and three months -- the second youngest player in history to play in Bundesliga.

Vagnoman can play at either left or right full-back and featured in every game of Germany’s Under-17 World Cup campaign, where they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Brazil.

Only 17, Vagnoman has an incredible future ahead of him. He’s already played once for Hamburg’s senior team, in addition to logging 1,145 minutes for their youth side, which came with 1 goal and 3 assists.

The German teenager has been on the radar of Premier League teams for quite some time, and it seems plausible that he would be attracted by the success of Everton’s academies. Given that Vagnoman is a defender, there would also be an easier route into the first team for him than if he played, say, midfield or wing.

It’s not the splashiest rumour, but signing players like Josha Vagnoman is what Everton 2.0 needs to do in order to make the coming years better than the previous few.