When Thierry Small rejected the Everton contract and chose to walk away, it came as a big shock to the club as well as the supporters. Then 16 year old teenager was one of the brightest prospects housed by the Everton academy. The Toffees failed to tie him down to a new contract and now there could be another repeat of such debacle, this time with Lewis Dobbin.
Dobbin joined Everton at the age of 11 and has been part of the youth teams ever since. The Englishman made his debut for the first team this season, coming on as a substitute against Norwich City for the final moments of the game. Dobbin has trained with the first team and made another big leap in his career.
Last weekend, Dobbin was exceptional for the Everton U-23 side in the 2-0 win against Brighton U-23. He was by far the best player on the pitch. He seemed to be in a different ballpark. The 18 year old scored a marvellous individual goal and was heavily involved in the proceedings happening in the final third.
With Richarlison suspended for the Brentford game and Dominic Calvert-Lewin recovering from his injury, there is an outside chance that Dobbin may feature this Sunday for the Royal Blues. Even though Rafa Benitez has hinted that the senior strikers Salomon Rondon and Cenk Tosun have a greater chance of starting the game, Dobbin could still get minutes under his belt.
Everton in a tricky situation with Lewis Dobbin
What is now quickly becoming a concerning issue is Dobbin’s contract. The 18 year old signed his first professional contract in January 2020 which is set to expire at the end of June 2022. The Toffees made a contract offer earlier in the season but ever since the talks have stagnated and are yet to resume between the player and the club.
If the talks don’t progress, Dobbin would be free to negotiate a pre-contract with European sides outside of England. He could potentially walk out as a free agent next summer which will be a huge blow to Everton.
This would be a repeat of the Small like debacle. Everton could lose an invaluable gem, a star of tomorrow. If another young star leaves Everton, this might send out a negative message and undo Marcel Brands’ work of creating a rock solid foundation for future through the academy.
Brands’ vision of having a talent filled academy might take a hit if two bright prospects leave the in one year. The talks need to resume soon or Everton may lose out on a talent like Dobbin.
Will Lewis Dobbin renew his contract?