Mason Holgate to Everton: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and Comments

Everton have announced the signing of Mason Holgate from Barnsley for an undisclosed fee on a five-year deal.

The club confirmed the signing of the 18-year-old via their official Twitter feed on Thursday. Earlier in the day at his pre-match press conference, manager Roberto Martinez revealed he was excited about the player’s potential, per the club's official website:

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With Mason, an opportunity came up and we didn’t want to lose out. He is a young man with a very impressive future.

His development is going to be important and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can have an impact on the first-team. But he is not a player who I would expect to perform straightaway in the Premier League—that would be very unfair.

Mason, already at 18, has played 20 games in League One, which shows his incredible potential.

I feel that we are the perfect place in order for Mason to develop into a top footballer. I know that he is a player who can bring us something quite unique, so we are excited about that possibility, even though he is one for the future rather than now.

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The path between Oakwell and Goodison Park is one that has been tread by young defenders before, with current Toffees centre-back John Stones signing for Everton from Barnsley in 2013. The England international reportedly remains the subject of serious interest from Chelsea and Manchester United, per ESPN FC.

But it would be naive to expect a similarly staggering development from Holgate. Speaking with Greg O’Keeffe of the Liverpool Echo, Barnsley Chronicle sports editor Douglas O’Kane outlined what Everton are getting with this talented young player:

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Like John, Mason has been at Barnsley since he was eight and broke into the first team just 10 years later. They have both come up the ranks playing at centre back but each got into the senior set-up at right-back and proved just as accomplished there.

In the long run he will be a centre-back. No doubt. That’s where he has excelled during his time at the academy and where he will show his talents to their fullest.

You’d watch him last season and it was crazy to think he was just 18. He was so calm and composed. With a bit of luck and the right coaching he’ll become a top player.

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Although he clearly has potential, it’d be a big surprise if Holgate was to make a major impression in the first XI this season. The youngster still has plenty of learning to do and will likely play a key role for David Unsworth’s under-21 squad.

It’s a signing that points to Everton’s desire to build a bright future at the club, but given the lack of transfer activity at Goodison Park, it’s a switch unlikely to sate a restless fanbase. With a stale, threadbare first-team squad in situ, it’s imperative the Toffees do more substantial business in the final embers of the window, regardless of how astute a capture Holgate may be.