Who is Everton talent Djankpata and where he can play for Italy

Halid Djankpata is quickly proving himself to be one to watch in the Everton and Italy youth squads, so who is the talented midfielder?

Djankpata was born in Togo to parents from Benin and moved to the city of Milan when he was just nine months old, growing up in Italy. He started playing with local side Usmate Velate and had trials with Brescia and Atalanta, ultimately choosing not to join either club due to the distance.

In 2018, when he was just 13, scouts from Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton began closely following the then-striker following his move from Italy two years prior. He underwent a round of trials with the Toffees before joining their youth system.

Djankpata has continued progressing up the Everton youth system since his arrival in 2018 and even trained with the first team during Frank Lampard’s time in charge. He still hasn’t broken into the senior squad yet but has appeared regularly for the Under-18 and Under-21 squads over the last few years.

The midfielder received offers from both the Togo and Benin national teams, rejecting both in order to remain eligible for Italy. He received his first call-up to the Azzurri’s Under-19 friendly with Austria on February 14.

Djankpata told Gazzetta dello Sport last year that his dream was ‘playing the Champions League with Juventus, my favourite team, and the World Cup with Italy’. He also highlighted his desire ‘to establish [himself] in Serie A’ one day.

An inventive and flexible midfielder, the 18-year-old is most comfortable playing in an advanced central position, confident charging down the pitch with the ball at his feet. He is strong physically and has a powerful shot, having initially started out as a striker.

Djankpata is contracted to Everton to June 2025 and has consistently underlined his desire to break into the first team in the near future, showing his ambitions to perform on the highest level.