Everton and Arsenal are both renowned for their faith in youth.
Scott Parker’s Under-19 side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Porto in the UEFA Youth League, knocking the north Londoners out of the competition with only one leg being played at youth level.
Leite rose highest in the Tottenham penalty area to head home Porto’s first on the half-hour mark, with his powerful header taking a nick off Spurs youngster Oliver Skipp before finding the back of the net.
His performance is sure to have impressed Everton and Arsenal scouts, who were in attendance to watch the 19-year-old centre-back dazzle for the Portuguese giants.
The three-time Portugal Under-20 man certainly impressed at the back, keeping a clean sheet against a strong Spurs side as his burgeoning reputation in the UEFA Youth League grows. He also scored against Besiktas.
Leite is yet to make his senior bow for Porto, though, which has seen Everton and Arsenal send scouts to watch the defender before a possible move to sign the starlet. He has a contract at Porto until the summer of 2020.
A Davies or a Bowler?
Everton have a huge number of young stars on the books, especially since the appointment of Steve Walsh. But not all of them have been successful. Yes, the likes of Tom Davies, Dom Calvert-Lewin and Ademola Lookman are good.
But Josh Bowler is just one example of how signing a teen can take time to develop, and ultimately the effort may outweigh the final product. Everton must be careful that Leite is not another example of Bowler.
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