Moroccan defender Adam Aznou urged to be patient as Everton coach cools early hype

Everton Under-21 coach Paul Tait has cautioned against placing heavy expectations on Spanish-Moroccan defender Adam Aznou following his summer move from Bayern Munich.

The 19-year-old, who came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy before joining Bayern in 2022, arrived at Goodison Park in July for an estimated €9 million transfer fee.

Seen as one of Europe’s promising young full-backs, the Moroccan’s transition to English football has been under scrutiny after his brief outing against Preston.

Tait, however, insists the youngster must be given time to adapt.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he said: “I’ll let the manager judge that.

“Adam came in and he did his best for us tonight. We’ve seen some flashes of probably why we’ve signed him, but as we know, if you’re coming into the Premier League at any age, never mind 19, it’s a big ask.”

Before the international break, Everton manager David Moyes also stressed the need for patience, noting that the club was aware Aznou would require development time.

“He’s got a bit to do before he’s probably going to be ready for the first team at the moment. But we were aware of that when we brought him in,” Moyes said.

Aznou’s football journey began at CF Damm before joining Barcelona’s academy in 2019.

He later switched to Bayern Munich, where he made his professional debut for Bayern Munich II in February 2024 and appeared for the senior team later that year in both the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League.

Following a short loan spell with Real Valladolid, Aznou is now focused on breaking into the Everton first team.

While his long-term potential excites fans, both Tait and Moyes agree that the young defender must build physical and tactical consistency to thrive in the Premier League.