Everton sign Nathangelo Markelo and add to title-winning U23 squad

On 19 June 2017, Everton announced the signing of teenage defender Nathangelo Markelo from the Dutch second-division club FC Volendam on a three-year contract. The transfer was completed to bolster Everton’s Under-23 squad, which had recently won the Premier League 2 title.

The young defender, who is capable of playing both in central defence and as a right-back, had not yet broken into the Volendam first team at the time of the transfer, having instead played for the club’s Under-19 side. Everton and other leading European clubs had scouted the Netherlands Under-18 international extensively. According to reports from the Liverpool Echo at the time, Everton had been tracking Markelo for a significant period before reaching an agreement with the Dutch second-tier side.

With this move, Markelo became the second Dutch player to arrive at Everton during the transfer window, following the club’s signing of Davy Klaassen from Ajax.

Upon completing the transfer, Markelo expressed his delight at joining the club, noting that he first heard of Everton’s interest about two weeks prior, following a tournament he had played in, and immediately decided he wanted to make the move.