The exciting talent of goalscorer Braiden Graham has not gone unnoticed

After the mammoth strides made by Braiden Graham in the Academy last season were dismissed by David Moyes, 'The Bobble' claims on social media that Everton are to open talks with the intent of offering him a new contract. 

It's easy to speculate the reasons for this when his current contract expires in June of next year after he signed his first professional deal when he turned 17. And there might well be interest from other clubs... especially ones who can promise a clearer and less problematic pathway to the first-team football he obviously needs and craves. 

His talents haven't gone unnoticed, with Northern Ireland naming him in their senior squad before he's ever had a chance to kick a ball in anger for the Everton first team. And that has Patrick Boyland at The Athletic wondering Is ‘exciting talent’ Braiden Graham primed for Everton breakthrough in 2026-27?

Now 18, the teenager did train with Moyes’s side at times last season but the closest he got to a breakthrough was the subs bench away at Nottingham Forest and at home in the disastrous cup tie against Sunderland, when he was just making up the numbers for Moyes, reliant as ever on his favourite experienced Premier League 'stars' who have underperformed too often this season.

Despite 25 goals in 34 games, most of which came at U21 level, it's all too easy to argue that he's not Premier League ready. And the next step to make or break his career will surely be the inevitable EFL loan spell which history has shown has very mixed results.  But could next season be when Braiden Graham finally explodes onto the first-team scene?

One problem is his small in stature, at just over 5ft-7in, and he has been moved out to the left side as a result. There seems little prospect, in an increasingly physical Premier League, that he would play for Everton in the lone striking role, where his natural goalscoring instincts would surely be of most value.

Boyland says that Everton Academy was starved of funding, with resources ploughed into keeping Everton in the Premier League when Graham joined Everton from Linfield, where he had made his senior debut at the tender age of just 15. He was part of a scheme that used the limited Academy money available on young players who could be developed and potentially sold on.

Sources at the time indicated Everton paid a small six-figure sum for Graham, who had a guaranteed professional deal built into the deal.

“Everybody in the academy has been impressed with his mentality,” under-21 manager Paul Tait told the Liverpool Echo this season. “The way he trains, he’s first on the pitch and last off.

“He’s desperate to do individual stuff and get better. He’s desperate to improve his weaknesses, is humble and works hard.”

But from what we saw last season with Tyler Dibling, the chances of him progressing to the first team under David Moyes next season are sadly slim to none. 

» Read the full article at The Athletic [£]

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