Brands holds the key as Everton pursue PSV striker

Everton have been linked with another young forward, this time Joel Piroe of PSV Eindhoven.

The 19-year-old is yet to make his senior team debut for the reigning Dutch champions, but is widely touted as a hot prospect that is making a lot of continental sides sit up and pay attention.

Do take this report with a grain of salt because it’s coming out of Italy from Calciomercato, but the Blues face an uphill battle for the player’s signature if the rumour is true.

The youngster will be out of contract at the end of this season and Juventus are interested in the player according to the media outlet. The Bianconeri of course are famous for signing players as free agents in recent years, having nabbed stars like Andrea Pirlo, Sami Khedira, Emre Can and recently Aaron Ramsey when their deals have expired.

However, a couple of factors could play in the Toffees’ favour here, not least the fact that current Director of Football at Finch Farm Marcel Brands occupied the same role at PSV and could grease the wheels for a move to England for the young striker who has banged in 10 goals in 19 appearances for the Dutch side’s Under-21 side this season.

Another reason why this link with Juve can be considered tenuous is that the Italian giants already have a 19-year-old striker that is struggling to find game time in Moise Kean, and rumour has it he could be headed out on loan next season, ironically to PSV’s biggest rivals Ajax Amsterdam.

Everton already have Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a young striker so even if they are interested in the lanky Piroe, it’s likely he slots in with David Unsworth’s Under-23 side for now, but there’s no dearth of strikers there either with Bassala Sambou lighting it up and Fraser Hornby also doing well.