Harrison Armstrong is quickly becoming the next big success story of Everton’s academy, but there should be real concern over his future.

The emergence of Harrison Armstrong as a first-team player in the past year has made him Everton’s latest academy star, following in the well-traveled footsteps of Wayne Rooney, Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert, and more.

Armstrong is an Everton supporter, and it would take a lot for him to leave the club, but the money a club like Chelsea could throw his way might be tempting enough.

Chelsea insider Simon Phillips claimed recently that Xabi Alonso’s side have been scouting Armstrong this season and have what he describes as a “keen interest” in signing the 19-year-old.

Everton cannot lose Armstrong this early into his career as has happened with all the top class graduates of this century with Wayne Rooney, Ross Barkley and Anthony Gordon all leaving too soon.

But Chelsea’s free spending means it might be impossible to turn them down should a £60m bid arrive. However, instead of waiting for this interest to arrive, Everton should act now to prevent it and protect themselves against losing Armstrong.

This would be in the form of a new contract to protect against Armstrong’s current deal which only has 18 months left to run (June 2028), leaving Everton vulnerable to cheap bids arriving and potentially being forced into a sale to avoid losing the starlet for free.

Chelsea also took Barkley from Everton so this situation would be all too familiar, but it is avoidable. Everton are competing for European football this season and that should be ambition enough to convince Armstrong to sign a new deal with his boyhood club, where he will play every week opposed to getting lost in the fold at Chelsea.

Losing Armstrong would be a concern, so Everton need to act now and stop this from happening before it becomes too late. Be proactive not reactive and secure the midfielder long-term while building around him.