Everton are considering a swoop for Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior this summer, with Sean Dyche impressed by the teenage talent's blistering pace and creativity.
What's the latest on Samuel Iling-Junior to Everton?
According to Calciomercato, Everton are attentive to the Englishman's situation in Turin and are leading the race – alongside Premier League rivals Aston Villa – for his signature.
Juventus are keen to recuperate funds given their detrimental financial issues, and have subsequently touted the 19-year-old at roughly €20-25m (£17m-£21m) following his contract renewal last term.
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Given that the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers have also been credited with an interest of late, the Toffees' hierarchy would be wise to act swiftly and bolster their ranks with a precocious talent.
Who is Samuel Iling-Junior?
The former Chelsea academy prospect broke into contention with the Old Lady first-team last year, scoring one goal and providing two assists from 18 appearances across all competitions – starting just three times.
Praised for his "high energy and work volume as well as dreamy ball skills" by scout Antonio Mango, Iling-Junior looks a real prospect and might be best placed returning to his homeland and offered a greater opportunity to impress at a side such as Everton.
The Toffees are a little light on their feet on the offensive flanks despite signing Arnaut Danjuma on loan already this summer; last year, Richarlison completed a £60m deal for Richarlison, while hometown talent Anthony Gordon departed for high-rising Newcastle United last winter for £45m.
Given that there are murmurings over Demarai Gray's possible outgoing at present, it's imperative that another deal is struck to ensure the Toffees do not spend a third successive season battling against relegation from the top-flight.
Gordon was a popular figure on Merseyside before his flight, hailed for his "frightening" skills by pundit Paddy Kenny, and it was his fleet-footed gait that often allowed Everton to progress up the pitch, into dangerous positions.
Despite this, the 22-year-old only scored seven goals and supplied eight assists from 78 total outings for the Blues, never quite the most prolific of youngsters, which means Iling-Junior could be the perfect successor.
Described as an "assist machine" by journalist Michele Neri, the rising star could grow into the creative focal point to form the nucleus of Dyche's outfit's offensive flow.
Yet to find match action with regularity, Iling-Junior has already unearthed a cutting edge that evades many aspiring prospects, with FBref ranking him among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 20% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.
It is important to remember that, yes, this is from limited game time – he averaged just 27 minutes per match in the Serie A after all – but this here is the making of a first-rate phenom and Everton would certainly be wise to bypass the competition and bolster their ranks for years to come.
