The 19-year-old Lille striker is reported to be interesting Everton.
When Everton appointed Steve Walsh as Director of Football in the summer, they probably weren’t expecting to spend the majority of the season frustrated at their failure to secure most of their top targets.
After all, this was a man who had laid the foundations for Leicester City’s still unbelievable march to the Premier League crown with N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy among others all arriving for minimal fees under his guidance before taking the country, even the world, by storm.
Thus far, however, The Toffees have prioritised established top tier talent, a la Morgan Schneiderlin, Yannick Bolasie and Ashley Williams, over the kind of under-the-radar, diamonds-in-the-rough that became Walsh’s trademark.
In the meantime, the likes of Moussa Sissoko, Lucas Perez and Axel Witsel slipped through Everton’s net. Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, the man whose billions have enabled The Toffees to browse in the most luxurious high streets, was left fuming and questioning Walsh’s influence, the Liverpool Echo reported.
However, reports linking Everton with an unproven 19-year-old with just 86 minutes of league action to his name all season may not sound particularly inspiring but it potentially hints at the first example of Walsh’s talent spotting abilities at Goodison.
According to L’Equipe, Everton are tracking teenage Lille striker Martin Terrier, a right-footed forward who only made his senior league bow this season and is yet to start a game. Quite clearly, Terrier is no Anthony Martial, ready to step straight into first-team action.
His signing would be very much one for the future, a player Koeman can allow to develop under the watchful eye of reserve coach David Unsworth before introducing him into the senior selection when he’s ready.
The fact that Lille haven’t entrusted him with a single Ligue 1 start suggests that is still some time off.
Nonetheless, Walsh’s Leicester were built on long-term planning and an astute understanding of the market. If Everton are to break through the glass ceiling, they could do worse than employ a similar strategy.
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