Steve Walsh was hired to bring his talent spotting skills to Everton and signing Burnley striker Daniel Agyei would demonstrate his ability to unearth gems.
Behind the scenes appointments often go under the radar in England but Everton appointing Steve Walsh as their first ever Director of Football last summer made everyone sit up and take notice, The Guardian reports.
After all, the veteran scout was the brains behind Leicester City’s historic title success, masterminding the signings of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and more. Unknowns upon arrival, the trio are household names these days, not to mention Premier League champions.
However, Walsh is working under very different circumstances at Everton with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri promising that the Toffees will now be able to pay top dollar for Europe’s biggest talents.
Though that does not mean Walsh is betraying the principles that made him one of England’s most respected talentspotters.
According to the Daily Mail, Everton are interested in 19-year-old Burnley striker Daniel Agyei. The powerful front man only made his Clarets debut in March after spending the first half of the season with now relegated League One strugglers Coventry City and scoring four goals in the process.
And while he is hardly the marquee signing fans will want to see arrive as a replacement for the wantaway Romelu Lukaku, Agyei is in many ways a typical Walsh signing; young, under-the-radar and, most of all, cheap.
Agyei, renowned for his upper body strength and ability to run at defenders, will be a free agent next summer, meaning he could be available at a bargain price in just a few months.
If the teenager does indeed move to Goodison Park and thrive under Ronald Koeman, it will be the latest in a long line of inspired discoveries from Everton’s talent-hunter extraordinaire.
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