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When Marcel Brands took over at Everton as the Director of Football, he knew he was going to be challenged attracting world class talent to Goodison Park. One category of player that Brands specifically called out that he was going to target was upcoming starlets that would otherwise be unable to get regular game time at their current clubs or at the bigger European teams.
To aid him in that quest was super agent Mino Raiola, who has a number of leading lights in his stable. While it looks like Justin Kluivert and Hakim Ziyech are out of reach of the Blues, two other names have popped up that Everton could do with, according to this Telegraph report.
The first is winger Gelson Martins, one of the players that has voided his contract with Sporting Lisbon and has been linked due to his previous relationship with new Everton manager Marco Silva.
It’s the second name though that should really get you interested. Ajax Amsterdam defender Matthijs de Ligt is very highly rated for an 18-year-old, but he is considered to be all that and then some. The youngster was dubbed ‘The Chosen One’ by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sky Sports) and is reportedly being scouted by both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Manchester City and Arsenal have both scouted the player as well.
While still a teenager, he is tall and assertive, comfortable on the ball and quick around the pitch, de Ligt has had a series of confident performances that have certainly caught the attention of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Born in Leiderdorp on August 12th, 1999, de Ligt has been with Ajax since the age of nine and has 121 appearances at various levels for Ajax with 14 goals already. Everton for their part are faced with an ageing backline and could use an infusion of world-class young talent.