Adam Aznou has long been on Everton's radar and arrives with a rich pedigree
Everton have long monitored such tournaments.
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Alongside full-time scouts based in France and Spain, the club's European senior scout, Phil Boardman, is known to be an active presence at games. The aim was to identify future talents before they hit the senior ranks. But until now, resources in this area have been limited.
Almost two years on, Aznou, 19, is now an Everton player.
Talks accelerated last week over an initial €9million (£7.8m/$10.4m) move, which contains add-ons. By the weekend, he had been granted permission by Bayern to miss the start of their pre-season to travel for a medical, which he underwent on Monday. Such is the regard he is held in at Bayern, the German champions have insisted on a sell-on clause as part of the deal. Offers came from France and Germany too, but Everton were always in the box-seat and seen as a logical next step in his career.
Even at this age, Aznou's talent is in little doubt. Having already played three times for Morocco at senior level, the view in recruitment circles is that Everton have signed one of Europe's top full-back prospects.
Aznou = Blue! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/UdLjIq7hgW
— Everton (@Everton) July 29, 2025
The problem for Aznou at Bayern was that the path to first-team minutes in his favoured left-back position was blocked by Alphonso Davies and Raphael Guerreiro, while the Bavarian club have Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry to call on further forward down that flank. It became obvious this summer that those situations were unlikely to change anytime soon.
At least from Aznou's side, then, this move is about ensuring more game time. Having spent the second half of last season on loan at Spain's Real Valladolid, further opportunities are needed to turn his promise into something more tangible.
Everton needed left-back cover.
The departure of versatile veteran Ashley Young when his contract expired at the end of June left Ukraine international Vitalii Mykolenko as the senior squad's sole specialist on that side. That lack of depth was emphasised on Saturday in the 3-0 defeat to fellow Premier League side Bournemouth on tour in the United States, where injuries in central defence saw Mykolenko moved inside and Dwight McNeil filling in at wing-back. It proved an imperfect solution that brought inevitably poor results.
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Aznou is expected to begin as cover for starter Mykolenko, but there is a feeling he can shoulder some of the burden if needed and develop into someone with a higher ceiling, particularly in attack.
As the chart below shows, the teenager is flexible positionally, having featured in more advanced areas at Valladolid. In his time at Bayern, Aznou had stints at right-back — somewhere else Everton currently look light on quality.
The hope at Everton is that they turn into a more attacking, front-foot side over time, one that pushes the full-backs on and can control games. It is believed players such as Aznou will be key in helping them achieve this.
When he took over midway through last season, manager David Moyes pushed Mykolenko up the field with mixed results. While the 26-year-old produced the odd moment of quality into the box from the left flank, like the ball to set up Carlos Alcaraz's winner in the final-day victory over Newcastle United, he remains better known for his defensive work.
In that sense, Aznou should be a useful counterbalance in the squad, bringing different elements to the table. Having been developed in the academy at hometown club Barcelona before joining Bayern in 2022, he is a prolific ball carrier, ranking in the top percentile for dribble volume (measured by dribbles attempted per 100 touches), among full-backs in Europe's top five leagues.
With the exceptions of Alcaraz and Iliman Ndiaye, Moyes has lacked players who can progress the ball upfield through carrying or passing. In Aznou, he now has someone who can potentially do both.
The teenager's statistics for front-footed defending point to him having an aggressive, proactive style out of possession. His low link-up and ball retention scores are notable, but probably a function of Valladolid's style. They were relegated after finishing bottom of La Liga, and had the fourth-lowest possession share in the 20-team division.
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The other caveat here is that Aznou played just 876 minutes in Spain's top flight last season, and such a sample size is small enough to be prone to statistical variance. That said, those who have tracked his progress since his days in Bayern's youth ranks point to a player keen to express himself in the final third and get his side up the pitch.
Much like 22-year-old fellow Everton newcomer Thierno Barry, Aznou has been signed as a talented young player who can contribute now, but whose best years are almost certainly ahead of him.
He only turned 19 in early July, so patience will be required as he steps up a level in physicality and adapts to a new country and a different style of play. And there are no sure-fire bets in recruitment, and certainly not with teenagers still making their way in the game.
That said, Aznou's arrival addresses a position of need in the Everton squad. And if those UEFA Youth League performances with Bayern — the ones that first piqued their interest — can become the norm in England's top flight too, then they have another exciting prospect on their hands.
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