Everton are interested in 17-year-old Morecambe left-back Connor Pye, a report from Football Insider has claimed.

Pye, who joined Morecambe from Wigan last year, made his senior debut for the Shrimps in their EFL Trophy clash with Hartlepool earlier this month.

That is his only first-team appearance to date, but it seems as though he is already attracting plenty of attention from further up the football pyramid.

According to this latest update, Everton are now considering a move for the teenager, after their scouts were left hugely impressed by his performance.

It is thought that the Premier League side are looking to recruit a new young left-back, following the departure of Thierry Small to Southampton earlier this year.

The Toffees will apparently be restricted to loan and cut-price signings in the January transfer window, with Pye said to fall into the latter category.

However, Everton may not have it all their own way in their pursuit of Pye, with several other unnamed Premier League and Championship clubs also reportedly keen on the defender.

The Verdict

This could well be one to keep an eye on over the course of the next few weeks.

The level of interest there is in Pye highlights the potential he possesses, so clubs may not want to miss out on the opportunity to sign a potential asset on the cheap here.

As a result, it could be hard for Morecambe to retain the services of the teenager long-term, given the size of the offers other clubs could make for him.

The opportunity for Pye to play for a club the size of Everton could potentially be too good for him to turn down as well, although he would need to be patient about breaking into the first-team if he did make such a move.