Former Everton coach Gary Brabin has revealed he told his old club to make a move for David Raya.
Brabin left his position as manager of Southport to take a coaching role at Everton’s academy, working with the club’s Under-21 side, back in January 2015 after just three months with the Sandgrounders.
The now 52-year-old eventually moved on to Tranmere Rovers the following summer, taking over from Micky Adams in the Prenton Park hotseat following the club’s relegation from Sky Bet League Two to the Conference.
However, during his short time with the Blues, Brabin encouraged the Goodison Park club to make a move for Raya, who, at the time, was with Blackburn Rovers. The former Cambridge United and Luton Town boss had worked with the Spanish international after he joined Southport on loan from Ewood Park during Brabin’s tenure.
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"At the time, I was telling people that he was going to be a Premier League keeper and that one day he would play for Spain," he told the Mirror.
"I don’t think anyone believed me. When I later got a job in the Everton Academy, I pushed for them to sign him, but in the end he eventually joined Brentford."
Catalonian-born Raya has made over 100 appearances for Blackburn after graduating from their Academy before joining Brentford in the summer of 2019. He would go on to help the Bees secure promotion to the top-flight.
The 27-year-old was one of Brentford’s most impressive performers throughout the course of last season, helping the west London side to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League. Raya has one year left on his current Bees contract and has been linked with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks.
However, it is claimed that Brentford are determined to hang onto the Spaniard or else lose him to the tune of a bumper £40m fee. The goalkeeper has one year left on his contract at the Gtech Community Stadium.
It is not the first time that Everton have passed up the opportunity to sign a player. Speaking in November last year, Blues icon Duncan Ferguson revealed Haaland was on trial at Finch Farm when he was 15 or 16.
The Norway international had arrived from boyhood club Bryne, but Everton turned down the chance to secure his services as they "didn’t think it was the right move".
Speaking on William Hill and Footy Accumulators’ No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, Ferguson said: "I mean, my God, what a phenomenal player Erling Haaland is.
"He’s going to be incredible, isn’t he? But believe it or not, I'll tell you a story: he was in at Everton. His dad [Alf-Inge] had brought him in at Everton, and they never signed him.
"I’m pretty sure that if his dad brought him to Everton, he’d have brought him to Leeds because his dad played for Leeds and Manchester City. I'm pretty sure he would have brought him to a few clubs around that age."
While former Blues director of football Steve Walsh has revealed back in November 2019 that Everton rejected to sign Harry Maguire and Andy Robertson during his tenure - for a combined fee of £20m.
"While I was at Everton, I offered them Andrew Robertson and Harry Maguire deals when they were at Hull, and it was worth £20 million for the pair. Everton wouldn't take them," he told The Athletic.
