View: Everton must now create academy pathway after teen sensation completes Goodison exit.
Everton must now try to develop a better pathway for their academy players after Arian Allen joined Rangers.
The Gers stated on their website on Monday (19 February) that the 16-year-old had made the transition to Ibrox after progressing through the ranks at the Toffees.
The forward’s departure is a big setback to the Blues’ plans of bringing more of their young players to the senior squad in the coming years.
In recent seasons, few players have moved to the first team after learning their craft at Finch Farm.
Everton had invested a significant amount of time in Allen’s development since he joined the club’s academy just before becoming ten years old.
The teenager’s decision to go on shows that Rangers have provided him with a better path to the first team than what was available at Goodison.
If this is the true, it should be a source of concern for the Toffees, as they do not want talented young players to leave before signing a professional deal with them.
There needs to be a greater emphasis on showing young players that they can make it on Merseyside and carve out a successful career for themselves.
Lewis Dobbin is the only notable academy player who has made his way into or near the first squad.
However, since making his debut in September 2021, the 21-year-old forward has only made 17 appearances for the club, with the majority of those coming as substitutes.
Although Jarrad Branthwaite is seen as a success story for teenagers at Goodison, he is not an Everton academy product. The 21-year-old centre-back joined the club from Carlisle United for £1 million when he was 17.
The Blues are definitely eager to add younger players to their roster, having signed 19-year-old attacker Youssef Chermiti from Sporting Lisbon last summer.
In the same transfer window, Leicester City signed Tom Cannon, a former Finch Farm player, due to financial fair play concerns.
The Toffees must place a greater priority on developing their own youth players, since Allen’s exit raises concerns about the club’s direction.
Leave a Reply