According to Foot Mercato, Mohamed-Ali Cho is close to joining Borussia Dortmund in a €20m (£17m) deal, less than two years after leaving Everton.
What’s the story?
Well, it seems as if Everton have let a wonderkid slip through their grasp.
Foot Mercato believe the 17-year-old is now closing in on a big-money move to one of the biggest clubs in Germany, after starring for SCO Angers.
It comes after Cho decided to leave Everton in 2020 in search of regular first-team football.
According to The Athletic, it was far from a mutual agreement, but in the end, Samia Cho – the teenager’s mother and agent – managed to help her son leave Goodison Park.
Since departing Merseyside, the France Under-21 international has shone.
Cho has scored two goals in Ligue 1 this season, and Foot Mercato state that he has been striking panic into opponents.
The teenager’s efforts have earned him a £17m move to Borussia Dortmund, a club famed for hoovering up wonderkids and developing them into superstars.
Just take a look at Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
Mohamed-Ali Cho isn’t the only gem to leave Everton
Something needs addressing in Everton’s academy, to say the least.
After Cho forced his way out of Goodison Park, another promising prospect in Thierry Small also left Everton.
In August 2021, the exciting full-back cancelled his two-year scholarship early in order to push through a move to Southampton (The Athletic).
Now, that is very worrying.
Aside from Anthony Gordon, the Toffees haven’t really produced a player for the first-team in a long time – the days of Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell are seemingly no more.
The talent is obviously there, although it’s clear that Everton’s prodigies struggle to see a clear pathway into the first-team.
It’s something Rafa Benitez must address immediately, or the Toffees can get used to seeing more players like Cho leave them behind.
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