Former £1m-rated Sunderland youth prodigy signs new contract with Premier League side

Former Sunderland youngster Francis Okoronkwo has signed a new contract at Everton until the end of June 2026.

Okoronkwo joined the Premier League club in 2021 for a deal rumoured to be worth around £1million.

The youngster, who was invited to an AC Milan training camp before joining Sunderland, had long been earmarked as a potential star by academy chiefs on Wearside.

However, the forward signed for Everton two years ago with Sunderland still languishing in League One at the time.

The 19-year-old was part of Sean Dyche's squad that travelled to the French border for pre-season training.

The Blyth-born attacker featured in the second half of the 2-1 friendly victory over Swiss second-tier side Stade Nyonnais and won the penalty which led to Neal Maupay's winner.

“I’m buzzing to sign this new deal,” said Okoronkwo to Everton's club website. “I feel at home at Everton and think I’ve been improving here ever since I arrived.

“Everton is like a family. We’re all striving towards the same goal. I just love being here. I love the lads, I love the coaches and they’re always trying to improve you every day.”

“I think going up to train with the senior team has been great for my learning,” he added. “The speed and the tempo they play is very different. But I feel like after a few weeks in pre-season, I got better. I just want more opportunities with them.

“I like to watch Dominic Calvert-Lewin and everything he does. I love watching him play. I feel like the one thing he does most is he always helps the team no matter where he is on the pitch.”