Everton
Demi Akarakiri’s agent has insisted his client is capable of emulating Paul Pogba, after swapping Everton for Cagliari this summer.
Tutto Cagliari have an interview with the agent, Samuele Mura, today following the 18-year-old’s move to the Italian side earlier this summer.
Everton exit
Demi Akarakiri was a product of Everton’s youth set up after joining them on a free transfer from Arsenal’s youth set up in 2024.
He was a regular for the Toffees at youth level, making 41 appearances for their U18s and 18 for their U21s. But rather than staying on Merseyside, he has elected to head to Italy this summer.
The move certainly raised some eyebrows, but his agent insists that there was plenty of interest in his signature this summer.
“He made a name for himself at Everton last year; despite being an Under-18 player, he featured for and made his mark in the Under-21s, and this has attracted the interest of many clubs,” he said.
“The Premier League is a highly coveted league; traditionally, the movement was the other way round. Today, however, there are many English players who are drawn to the Italian league.
“The decision to bring him to Cagliari stems from the desire to see Demi ready for Serie A and the first team.
“His attributes are particularly well-suited to the Premier League, but there are few players like him in Serie A. Seeking to capitalise on these attributes in Serie A is a key objective in continuing his development.”
Everton rejected
He then explained how the negotiations for the youngster came about this summer. That included turning their back on Everton, who were keen to sign the youngster to a professional contract.
“He was supposed to stay at Everton, who had offered him a professional contract,” he added.
“We’d been in talks with him for four or five months. Having worked with Italian clubs and seen their interest, we acted immediately to seize this opportunity, given the deadlock with the English club.
“Football is great because there are different approaches. Cagliari have a clear vision, and the environment could be important for Demi. He wants to push himself further and aim for a place in the first team.”
The move has already sparked interest in Italy, where the midfielder has already been compared to Paul Pogba. That is a comparison most would want to play down, but Mura isn’t concerned about playing to it.
“The comparison stems from the fact that his style of play is very reminiscent of the French midfielder. There’s no point denying it. Demi, however, is Demi: he was born in 2007 and needs to follow his own path. Pogba is a champion, so it’s a flattering comparison,” he concluded.
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— Sean Lunt (@Sean_Lunt) July 17, 2026