Since the Friedkin Group’s takeover, Everton have put a lot more impetus on recruiting young talent.
Everton’s owners brought in a new transfer model last year, which focused on bringing in players with big potential across the youth ranks and in the first team.
The £40m acquisition of Tyler Dibling is a notable example of that, and so too is the £8m signing of Adam Aznou.
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The Toffees also signed 16-year-old Reuben Gokah from Charlton Athletic last summer, and he’s been plying his trade with the under-18s.
With that said, Everton were exploring a deal to sign a Championship wonderkid this month, but Chelsea are now ‘closing in’.
Sheffield Wednesday defender Yisa Alao.
Photo by Harriet Massey/Getty Images
Everton set to miss out on Yisa Alao to Chelsea
According to The Star, Everton were one of the clubs showing an interest in signing Sheffield Wednesday wonderkid Yisa Alao.
Alao is a 17-year-old left-back who has broken into the first team at the Championship strugglers this season.
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The 2008-born has played five senior games for Wednesday and has really impressed, showing lots of composure on the ball.
But, it’s Chelsea who are now on the verge of landing his signature after agreeing a high six-figure up-front deal.
The Friedkin Group are pumping serious investment into the academy
At the start of 2025, Everton’s academy was branded a ‘disgrace’ by a source close to the club.
Farhad Moshiri clearly wasn’t investing enough time or money into the recruitment at youth level, so the Friedkins moved quickly to resolve that following their takeover.
Everton promptly appointed Nick Cox from Manchester United to lead the academy, which was regarded as a real coup.
And since then, the Toffees have been exploring several deals to bring in some of the teenagers across the country.
So, whilst the failed deal for Alao is frustrating, it shows that the American investors are trying to move the club in the right direction and bring long-term success to Merseyside.
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