Teenage midfielder Imam Jagne has returned to Sweden after his Everton contract was terminated by mutual consent.
The talented teenager signed for the Blues from BK Hacken in October 2020, impressing then Under-23s manager David Unsworth with his athleticism and pressing. He had penned a deal set to keep him on Merseyside until the end of this season but both parties were able to agree on its early conclusion. The 19-year-old wanted to leave to pursue first team football.
Speaking about the move, Jagne added he simply "wanted to come home, play and just enjoy football again". He said Everton were sensitive to his position, explaining: "They were really kind and saw it from my perspective, which was that I wanted to develop and play senior football. Then they agreed. They were very supportive."
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Jagne was born in The Gambia before moving to Sweden aged six and representing his adopted country at youth level. In his first season at Finch Farm, he established himself as a regular for Everton U18s, making 15 league appearances for the team then managed by current U23s boss Paul Tait. He also played six matches for the U23s side in Premier League 2.
Following his U23s debut, Unsworth said: "He's going to be a great athlete. He can handle the ball, he's a great presser of the ball. I'd say when he develops and matures he will be more of a box-to-box midfielder. He's got great energy and you don't want to bog him down into a holding midfield role. I think he can play in all of the midfield roles centrally; in a two, he can hold, and he can play wide of the three. There's loads and loads of development in there and he's certainly one for the future."
After two years with the Blues, Jagne sought a move back to Sweden, however. Explaining his thoughts, he told Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen: "I felt that I stopped developing. I simply needed to come home and enjoy football again, because I think football is the most fun we have in this life. But when it gets to the point where it's no longer fun, then there's no point in continuing."
While he was rising through the academy setup, Jagne also felt he was ready to taste senior football and willing to move in order to pursue it. He said: "I got quite a lot of playing time in the U18s. I played almost every game and it felt good, but it's not the same way as it is here in Sweden. I also feel that I need to take the step into senior football. It is something I must be allowed to do in order to develop as much as possible. Then I feel there is no point in staying there [England] if I can't get it."
Praising Everton for the way the club handled the situation Jagne, who is now back training with Hacken but exploring his options for the future, added: "We negotiated a bit and in the end we agreed, it felt good for all parties. They were really kind and saw it from my perspective, which was that I wanted to develop and play senior football. Then they agreed. They were very supportive."
Jagne is the latest promising teenager to depart in recent months with the highly-rated 17-year-old Emilio Lawrence, who has represented Scotland at U16s level, having moved to Manchester City.
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