It’s well established at this point that Premier League sides scout every bit of the world possible, and it seems at Everton that is no different.
The Toffees don’t have the same budgets as some of the bigger sides in the division, but they still have scouts all over the place watching out for future targets.
Indeed, that was seen this summer when they moved for Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gana Gueye in France and Ruben Vinagre in Portugal despite a very domestic based summer transfer window.
Onana in particular was something of a surprise signing given he only managed 11 starts for Lille in Ligue 1 last season and was a relative unknown.
He’s proven to be a big hit so far, and it’s likely Everton will be looking at the French market more often in future.
Ligue 1 and even Ligue 2 have been a hotbed of talent for a number of years, with a number of players making the move over the last few years and proving to be a big hit in the Premier League.
It means English clubs are keeping a close eye on the country, including Everton, if their scout Habib Bamogo is to be believed.
“I live in Paris. I came back here because I grew up here and all my family is in Paris,” he told La Provence.
“I have been a scout for Everton for four years in France. I started by studying the youth teams (U17, U19) and now I’m more interested in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, the reserves from time to time and Youth League matches.
“I also sometimes go out of the country to Belgium and the Netherlands. The main thing is to stay active and do what you love.”
