Yesterday, FourFourTwo released their ranking of the best 50 youngsters on the planet, and one inclusion on the list will not please Everton.
What’s the story?
Well, you may remember Mohamed-Ali Cho from his time at Everton.
The 18-year-old joined the Toffees at Under-11 level, but recently left Goodison Park in 2020 after becoming disillusioned with life at Everton (The Athletic).
Now, he’s been named as the 33rd best youngster in the world by FourFourTwo – Everton will surely be devastated to have lost him.
In fairness, it was the right choice from Cho, who has risen to stardom in France.
The teenager moved to Angers, where he is already a valued first-team member – he’s also attracted interest from some top clubs.
According to Dean Jones, Tottenham are keen to sign Cho, whereas Foot Mercato believe he almost joined Borussia Dortmund in January.
Everton must ensure they avoid another Mohamed-Ali Cho situation
Worryingly, Cho isn’t the only youngster who failed to see a pathway to the first-team at Everton.
In 2021, Thierry Small – a very promising left-back – also left Goodison Park for Southampton in search of more first-team opportunities (The Athletic).
It seems Everton are no longer the talent producers they once were, when prodigies like Wayne Rooney would emerge from Finch Farm.
Clearly, something needs to be addressed regarding the academy.
It makes no sense whatsoever to nurture these talents, only to watch them walk away and shine elsewhere – Everton need to make sure these youngsters feel they can make it at Goodison Park, not somewhere else.
Unless something changes, Everton fans should get used to more situations like the one involving Cho.
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