Everton reportedly want Bowler to prove himself in the Championship with Boro, Derby County, Hull and Sheffield Wednesday keen.
Middlesbrough are leading the chase to sign Everton starlet Josh Bowler on loan, according to TEAMtalk, although Derby County, Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday are still in the race.
The Toffees certainly raised eyebrows when they paid £4.25 million for a little-known Queens Park Rangers winger in the summer of 2017 but, while Bowler is yet to make his senior debut for the Merseyside giants, he is already looking like a sound investment.
Bowler has shone for Everton’s reserve side and produced a series of eye-catching performances as they won the Premier League 2 title in May.
“The way he’s performed in the past three, four months… he’s just a top player,” Everton’s U23 coach David Unsworth told the club’s official website.
And, according to TEAMtalk, Everton are keen to give Bowler the chance to prove himself at senior level next season via a loan spell in the Championship.
Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull are all clamouring to give the 20-year-old a chance but it seems that Middlesbrough are at the front of the queue with new manager Jonathan Woodgate keen to add to his options out wide.
As it stands, the 2018/19 campaign looks like a make-or-break one for Bowler.
He is out of contract in 2020 and, should he fail in the second tier, Everton may be forced to get rid. If he stars at Boro or Derby, however, Bowler could return to Goodison Park with a first-team place in his sights.
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