Dennis Adeniran -

Everton added another promising youngster to their U23 development squad in September 2017 with the arrival of midfielder Dennis Adeniran from Fulham. Including add-ons, Adeniran could end up costing Everton a fee of £4m with add-ons, according to Sky Sports News.

The 18-year-old was a deadline-day acquisition to bolster David Unsworth's options as he and his team set out to defend their Premier League 2 crown.

Born in Southwark, London, Adeniran made his senior bow for Fulham a year ago in a League Cup tie, and  became Fulham’s youngest ever goalscorer in a 3-2 win over Leyton Orient. He then made his only first-team appearance in the Football League to date the following month after consistently impressing at academy level. Subsequently, he occasionally sat on the bench during Fulham’s push for promotion. Adeniran is very tactically aware for his age and exhibits composure that is beyond his years

He operates in the centre of midfield but plays different roles depending on the need of the team. When playing deep, he orchestrates play, using his impressive passing ability to keep possession and pick out teammates in space. Off of the ball, he tracks his runners and fills in for teammates that are out of position, covering a lot of ground while doing so.

On other occasions, he plays in a more advanced midfield role, where he exhibits impressive ball control and decision-making. When in possession of the ball, he drives into space and is direct with his play, but is tactically aware enough to know when to release the ball or switch play.

His most impressive attributes are his vision and composure on the ball. He notices attacking runs, and likewise knows when to make moves himself, which often results in him finding himself in dangerous positions on the edge of the penalty area. When under pressure he remains composed and confident in his ability.   

He had progressively established himself as an influential figure in Unsworth’s side, however, and an energetic display against League One Coventry’s first-team in La Manga in pre-season 2018 suggested Adeniran was eager to make up for lost time.

He was the second most used player by Unsworth as the U23s achieved a notable double, winning the Premier League 2 and Premier League Cup titles in the 2018-19 season and by the time a central-midfield injury crisis had set in in the first-team in 2019-20, he was being talked about as a potential selection option under Carlo Ancelotti.

Adeniran wasn't called upon in that season but, acknowledged as the U23s' best player that season, there was talk of him being farmed out on loan to the Championship for the 2020-21 campaign as he entered the final year of his contract and he joined Wycombe Wanderers for that season in September 2020.

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