Aston Villa set to snatch highly-rated teenager Jake Doughty from Finch Farm | OneFootball

Everton are facing yet another frustrating academy blow, with Premier League rivals Aston Villa closing in on a deal to sign 16-year-old winger Jake Doughty.

According to reports from The Athletic, negotiations between the two clubs are into their final stages as Villa work to wrap up an agreement for the highly-rated England youth international.

Doughty, who only turned 16 in February, enjoyed an eye-catching campaign in Leighton Baines’s U18 side throughout the 2025-26 season. Despite his youth, the wide man featured 18 times across all competitions — scoring 7 goals in the U18 Premier League and making appearances in the FA Youth Cup.

Because Doughty has not yet signed a professional contract with Everton, they are unable to command a standard transfer fee. Instead, the transfer will be settled via a youth development compensation structure, allowing Villa to secure one of Finch Farm’s top prospects for a fraction of his potential future value.

The move highlights an ongoing and painful vulnerability for Everton's youth setup. While the Blues continue to offer elite coaching, well-funded academy powerhouses like Villa — flush with European football ambitions and massive infrastructure investment — remain capable of turning the heads of the country's bright young talents before they ever step foot onto the pitch for the first team.

While the final details of the deal are still being ironed out, Villa remain firmly in the driving seat to complete the signing shortly, leaving Everton to reflect on the loss of another promising home-grown talent.

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