Everton set to sign 16-year-old Sunderland starlet Francis Okoronkwo in a deal worth up to £1m as the striker becomes the latest talented youngster to leave the League One club
- Everton have signed 16-year-old Sunderland striker Francis Okoronkwo
- The teenager caught the eye for the Black Cats’ Under 18 side last season
- Several top flight clubs were chasing the forward but he has chosen Everton
- Okoronkwo becomes the latest talented youngster to leave the League One club
Everton have swooped to sign Sunderland striker Francis Okoronkwo after agreeing a deal worth up to £1million for the highly rated 16-year-old.
The teenager caught the eye for the Under-18s last season and several top-flight clubs were chasing the 6ft 3ins frontman.
Sunderland were determined to keep Okoronkwo but Everton have persuaded the player to move to Goodison Park, where he will enter their academy once the transfer is ratified by the Premier League.
Everton have swooped to sign 16-year-old Sunderland striker Francis Okoronkwo (far left)
The Toffees persuaded the youngster to move to Goodison Park in a deal worth up to £1million
The Black Cats, now under the ownership of Swiss trust-fund billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, included the schoolboy in the group that travelled to Wembley for their EFL Trophy Final victory in March, a move that was intended to incentivise him in committing his future to the club.
But Okoronkwo will now become the latest in a long line of talented youngsters to quit Sunderland for the Premier League, including Joe Hugill, the 17-year-old who is winning rave reviews at Manchester United.
Defender Logan Pye, 17 also left the Black Cats to join United last summer.
Okoronkwo is the latest talented youngster to leave Sunderland after Joe Hugill joined Manchester United last summer