Everton manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed to the media in England that he is very close to pulling off the signing of Belgian youngster David Henen.
The 18 year old youngster, a product of the famed Anderlecht youth academy, spent last season on loan with the B team of AS Monaco and amid interest from several top European clubs including Manchester United and Arsenal, Roberto Martinez is on the verge of pulling off a sensational transfer coup for the Belgian starlet.
According to Martinez, a fee reported to be around the £ 1.5 million, has been agreed and the deal is in the final stages of conclusion with the player already agreeing personal terms with the Toffees. Some bloggers think its is a done deal.
Martinez said that the forward is a very talented player and having represented the country in all levels starting from the youth set-up to the Under-18 levels, has proved to the world that he is ready for the cutthroat challenge of the Premier League.
Henen was long chased by Manchester United who had signed his youth team mate Andreas Pereira from the Anderlecht youth setup a few years back and were ready to move for the player before the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson scuppered the moved.
Martinez said that the team he is building at Everton is a mix of youth and experience and with the addition of Henen, he will be bringing in a player who has been touted as one of the brightest prospects to emerge from the Anderlecht academy in recent years and has been compared to the likes of Adnan Januzaj who burst on to the scene at Manchester United last season.
Everton hope to present the player after he passes a medical as early as possible, hoping to announce it before the week is out as well.