Arsenal and Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring Thierry Small’s situation at Everton, with the Toffees determined to keep him.
According to Liverpool Echo, Everton face a battle to keep hold of Thierry Small. The 16-year-old left-back has become a hot prospect in the market, with Liverpool and Arsenal monitoring his situation at Goodison Park.
Small’s current contract at Everton expires in 2022, with the Toffees determined to tie him down to a new long-term contract. They have already submitted an offer for the talented defender, but he isn’t eligible to sign a professional deal until he turns 17, at the start of August.
A native of Solihull, in the county of Warwickshire, Small rose to prominence last year with his performances in the youth competitions. He even became the youngest player to appear for Everton when he replaced James Rodriguez in a 4th Round FA Cup tie.
The English left-back didn’t make any Premier League appearances, but he did play with the Elite Development Squad for Everton in Premier League 2. He scored three goals in 13 appearances, making quite an impression with his attacking prowess.
It has put a number of clubs on red alert, including arch-rivals Manchester United. It appears the youngster has been identified as one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s latest targets as the Norwegian continues to revolve his team around young players.
The Red Devils have already roped in England’s attacking sensation Jadon Sancho this summer. The Borussia Dortmund winger is set to join a young and talented attacking setup consisting of Mason Greenwood, Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford and Danial James.
In addition, Manchester United are also said to be in pole position in the race to sign Eduardo Camavinga. However, as far as Thierry Small is concerned, they are not the only club interested in the Everton youngster, with Arsenal monitoring his situation as well. Much like the Red Devils, the Gunners have had a lot of success in integrating youth products into the first-team in recent years.
The likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah are all young players who have managed to push for the starting eleven at Arsenal this past season. Thierry Small, in that regard, could be another exciting addition to the club’s large contingent of talented young players.
However, it appears unlikely that Arsenal would want to pursue Small in the summer, especially having brought in Nuno Tavares from SL Benfica this week. Manchester United is a more likely destination in that respect, but it won’t be surprising the see the youngster remaining at Goodison Park and compete with Lucas Digne for a place in the first team next season.
