Over the years, Everton have become a club that is synonymous with developing young players and giving them their chance.
That’s certainly their strategy under Director of Football Marcel Brands, who is a man renowned for his preference of identifying and developing young talent for the first team.
While the pathway is there at Goodison Park, some players decide to test their chances elsewhere and that’s what happened with Bassala Sambou this summer.
The 21-year-old has been a big part of the club’s success at U23 level in recent years but decided to move on this summer, despite offers from Everton to stay.
It appears his next destination will be the Netherlands as De Telegraaf report that he has chosen Fortuna Sittard as his next club.
The newspaper says Sambou has signed a three-year deal at the club and it’s something of a coup, with them saying it was a ‘difficult task to bring Sambou to the Netherlands’.
The young German reportedly had offers from the Championship, League One and the Bundesliga but seems t
o think the Eredivisie is his best bet.
It could be a smart choice too. The Dutch league is a breeding ground for young talent, with the style and openness to youth meaning it’s a great place for youngsters to get game time and hone their talents.
Plenty of players his age have made big moves after starring in the division and that’s presumably what Sambou is hoping for. Everton will certainly be keeping an eye on him and hoping this isn’t one that got away.
