Under Marcel Brands, Everton are looking to lower the average age of their squad by bringing in young talent to replace ageing deadwood.
Oumar Niasse, Cenk Tosun and Sandro Ramirez are expected to leave this summer and Mohamed Sankoh, Joe Gelhardt, Anthony Weston, Joe Hugill and Gabriel Veron are being lined up to replace them, but Football Insider say Matthew Garbett is also on the Toffees’ radar.
So, who is he?
Garbett is an 18-year-old centre-forward who plays for Falkenberg and broke into the first-team just months in his debut season. He’s represented New Zealand at U17 (10 games, four goals, two assists) level too, so he could have a bright future under the right guidance.
He made one appearance for Falkenburg U21s and two appearances for the first-team before the Covid-19 pandemic halted proceedings. Garbett’s made enough of an impression to be linked with Manchester City recently too, so Everton may have their work cut out bringing him to Goodison Park.
The Blues’ transfer policy has shifted to recruiting more young talent since Brands arrived, so Garbett perfectly fits the criteria. He’s not long joined Falkenburg, however, so it remains to be seen if they’d be willing to part company so soon. That might depend on the offer from a suitor.