Arsenal are said to be eyeing a move for Everton youngster Thierry Small ahead of this summer.
Small has been offered a three-year professional contract at Everton, but according the Express, he is set to reject the offer in order to pursue a transfer to another club.
The 16-year-old left-back became the youngest ever Everton player when he came off the bench during an FA Cup clash with Sheffield United in January.
And he is tipped to be one of the brightest starlets at Goodison Park, but Everton now face the very real prospect of losing one of their prize assets heading into this summer.
The attacking full-back is said to have been offered his first professional deal at Everton, but the Express report he could turn that down due to disappointment over opportunities.
The report claims Small is not happy with the lack of opportunities he has had since making his debut, and that is said to include opportunities to train with the first team.
As a result, Small has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, but even those clubs could miss out on a deal.
The report claims Small will prioritise first-team opportunities over everything else, and that could lead him towards Brighton, Leeds or Brentford, who are all prepared to offer a 'direct pathway' to the first team.
Bayern Munich were also said to be interested but Brexit looks to have put an end to that interest with clubs in Europe no longer able to sign players aged between 16 and 18 in the UK.
With one year remaining on his scholarship deal, Everton will still be able to demand a fee of up to £1million for Small if he is to depart this summer.
