Everton youngster Halid Djankpata has revealed he turned down Liverpool in favour of a move to Goodison Park because he was fascinated by the Blues’ history.
Djankpata has been speaking to FIGC about his time at Everton so far after joining the Blues’ youth set up in July 2021 despite also having the chance of signing for Liverpool.
The 18-year-old midfielder was born in Togo but grew up in Italy and has now found his footing on Merseyside after his parents moved there for work in 2019.
He’s now very much rising through the ranks at Everton since joining, with 33 appearances for the U18s and 26 so far for the U21s since moving up to that set up in July last year.
He could now be set to make his debut for Italy, too, having been called up for their U19 side, who are set to take on Austria in a friendly this week.
It’s all positive for the youngster, who had offers from Liverpool and Manchester City too in the summer of 2021 after impressing for Droylsden. He, though, chose Everton, because of their history and the project they offered him.
“Initially I didn’t take it well, but, little by little, I adapted, as did my brothers,” he said about his move to England.
“In the end I chose the Toffees because, in addition to being fascinated by their history, they presented me with the project that I considered most suitable for me.”
