Leicester and Stoke City join Everton in transfer race for midfielder | OneFootball

The transfer window may be closed for clubs in the EFL, aside from being able to bring in free agents and emergency goalkeepers, but the hunt for new players is a 24/7, 365 days a year job.

Clubs need to be alert for the best young players coming through in order to bolster their squads at the right time, as a talented player could become available for a pretty cheap price and bargains could be had.

And that could be the case over in Northern Ireland right now as clubs in England's top two divisions are looking at one of their most promising talents that is playing regular domestic football at senior level.

According to a report from Football Insider, Larne midfielder Dylan Sloan, who is just 19 years of age, is being watched by Championship duo Leicester and Stoke City, with their scouts making regular checks on his performances across the Irish Sea.

And the Foxes and Potters have been joined by Everton in the battle for his services, with the Toffees also watching on with interest as potential swoops are plotted.

Who is Dylan Sloan?

Sloan is a young midfielder who came through the Larne academy system, making his senior debut in May 2021 at the age of 17 in a Northern Irish Premiership play-off game against Glenavon.

He did not feature in the 2021-22 campaign as he went on loan to Knockbreda of the division below from January 2022 onwards, and in 2022-23 he split his time between Larne and another loan stint, this time with Newry City who were playing in the Premiership and just survived from being relegated.

The current 2023-24 season though has been Sloan's breakout one for Northern Irish champions Larne as he has become a fully-fledged first-team regular, playing 17 times so far in all competitions.

Sloan has played in both the UEFA Champions League and Conference League qualifiers earlier on in the season for his club, and in the Premiership he has been making an impact, scoring twice and assisting once from his 12 outings.

He has also been capped five times by Northern Ireland at under-19's level, and it will only be a matter of time before he is called into Michael O'Neill's senior squad if he continues at the current trajectory he is travelling at.

What would be the best destination for Dylan Sloan?

Considering he is still relatively inexperienced, should Sloan sign for one of the three clubs in question then it is unlikely that he will see any real game-time in the Championship or Premier League immediately.

The step up from the top flight of Northern Irish football to the Championship is such a massive ask, and any move in January for his services will likely include a loan back to Larne for the remainder of the campaign.

There is a chance that Sloan could go into the under-21's setups of Leicester or Stoke, but it would be more beneficial for the teenager to be playing senior football than that.

Considering Stoke have invested heavily in young talents from across the world in 2023 though, the Bet365 Stadium may be the ideal destination for Sloan to eventually kick on.

With a contract running until 2025 though at Inver Park, Sloan won't be necessarily cheap to sign, but he is definitely one for the future and an investment worth making.