Everton have failed in their pursuit of Hellas Verona defender Destiny Udogie, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
The 17-year old full-back has signed a new contract to remain with Verona, despite both Everton and Monaco having made a bid for the young defender.
Everton have been looking to increase their defensive squad depth this month, with Marcel Brands working his magic as he looks to unearth hidden gems for the Toffees. Having already signed Jarrad Branthwaite from Carlisle United, Udogie would have been another exciting young talent to add to the U23 ranks.
However, Di Marzio reports that Udogie has instead committed himself to Verona, who had refused ‘important offers’ for the prospect, with Everton’s bid said to be ‘in the millions’.
Read Everton Verdict
Udogie has played 9 times in the Italian youth division this season (Transfermarkt), having not made a single appearance for Verona’s senior team, so his capabilities at senior level are hard to judge.
Everton’s continued pursuit of exciting young talents is admirable, whether the club are able to get a deal over the line of not. Marcel Brands has developed a stellar reputation over his years in the business for unearthing hidden talents, and it is extremely positive to see him continue that trend for Everton, despite not actually landing the target on this occasion.
It would be nice to see Everton make senior recruitments this month, but should that prove impossible to do, it is still positive to see that the club are still treating David Unsworth’s squad with equal importance as the first team, as they had been doing under Marco Silva.
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