Why Everton should snap up starlet Malcolm Ebiowei
According to claims from All Nigeria Soccer, Everton are weighing up a move for 16-year-old starlet Malcolm Ebiowei, who is currently without a club after being released by Arsenal.
Malcolm Ebiowei made his debut for the Gunners’ U-18 side in the U-18 Premier League this season but the North London giants opted against offering him a scholarship deal due to issues relating to the youngster’s attitude and work ethic in training. (h/t All Nigerian Soccer)
The talented teenager was held in high regard by the youth staff at the Emirates but disciplinary issues meant that he wasn’t deemed worthy of a scholarship deal.
Ebiowei, though, is unlikely to have to wait too long to find himself a new club in order to further his development, with Everton, Man City and Man United all in the race to snap up the 16-year-old midfielder, All Nigeria Soccer understands.
As per the report, Man United are in pole position to land him after the Red Devils sent one of their senior scouts to make contact with the player’s father over a potential transfer to Old Trafford. However, Everton are also expected to firm up their interest in the coming days.
Essentially a left-footed central attacking midfielder by trade, Ebiowei has illustrated the versatility to play in wide attacking roles on either side of the pitch at various age-group levels for Arsenal and Everton are now looking at him as one for the future.
The 16-year-old starlet of Nigerian descent has represented both England and The Netherlands at the youth level and has been tipped by many as a player with a big future ahead of him.
Given that he only burst on to the scene for Arsenal’s U-18 side earlier this term, not a lot is known about his style of play but he does seem to be a real talent at this stage of his career.
To put things into perspective, Malcolm Ebiowei is still very much in his formative years as a footballer and Everton should not hesitate to nab him if they really believe he is talented enough to progress through the ranks and ultimately make an impression at the highest level in the future.
Of course, there are no guarantees over how the development would pan out for a player of his age but he apparently has the potential to go all the way to the top if he manages to put in the hard yards on the training ground.
Competition for places in the academy ranks is quite immense these days and there is hardly a substitute for hard-work as far as any aspiring professional in the beautiful game is concerned.
To that end, the Toffees would need to get his disciplinary issues sorted out if they do end up offering him an escape route and given the club’s impressive record in blooding young talents over the years, one would expect Ebiowei to flourish eventually.
In all probability, the 16-year-old would be drafted into Everton’s U-18 side for the ongoing campaign and then it will be up to him to progress through to the U-23 development side in the next few years before staking a claim for a place in the first-team or going out on loan to a Football League club in order to gain senior experience.
The Toffees have high hopes of some of their up and coming U-23 stars like Anthony Gordon and Anthony Evans while another academy graduate Tom Davies is already a regular in the senior fold.
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Jonjoe Kenny is yet another academy star who is currently making waves on his loan spell in Germany and, suffice to say, they have already got some top-quality young talents at their disposal.
All in all, this looks like a move that could pay rich dividends for Everton in the years to come.