Grimsby Town must be prepared for Evan Khouri transfer hurdle | OneFootball

Evan Khouri has taken his game to another level this season, and his form and improvement may well have caught the eye of other clubs.

While Grimsby Town have lacked consistency at times this season, it's been a largely positive opening four months of the 2024/25 League Two campaign, with the emergence of young midfielder Evan Khouri as a first team regular one of the more obvious plus points for head coach David Artell, though his impressive displays will undoubtedly have started attracting the interest of others.

Now approaching his 22nd birthday, Khouri has been in and around the Mariners first-team squad for a few years now, but it wasn't until early season injuries to others saw him given the opportunity to showcase his talents on a consistent basis.

The Londoner has grasped his chance with both hands, however, and has been an almost ever-present part of a Grimsby side that currently sit in the top half of the fourth-tier table.

Starting out in the youth programme at West Ham United, Khouri joined the Mariners, initially on a scholarship, in 2019, and made his debut off the bench in the following season's EFL Cup clash with Morecambe.

Since then, the youngster has gone on to make 63 appearances in all competitions for Grimsby over the subsequent four-and-a-half seasons, either side of a brief loan spell at Spennymoor Town, though prior to recent months, many of his Mariners showings had been sporadic and fleeting.

Lately Khouri has grown into a very capable League Two midfield player, with the potential to go much higher. His battling qualities and physicality allow him to play both the holding and box-to-box roles, while being left-footed offers Artell balance in the engine room.

The 21-year-old's maturity and leadership qualities are further strings to his bow, with the former Hammers youngster taking on the role of captain on occasion in the absence of the likes of Danny Rose, Kieran Green, and Curtis Thompson.

Now with many of his midfield colleagues returning to fitness, competition for a starting role in the centre of the park will be fierce. Khouri's early season form has made him difficult to leave out, however, and his attributes and improvement won't have gone unnoticed in the lead-up to the winter transfer window.

Khouri is one of two Grimsby youngsters who could attract interest from clubs higher up the pyramid

Under David Artell, Grimsby aren't afraid of putting their trust in youth, and this has paid dividends with the rise to prominence of both Khouri and 19-year-old striker Cameron Gardner.

While Gardner is a little behind his teammate in terms of age, experience, and consistency, he also shows real promise and the potential to play at a very high level.

Khouri has 18 months left on his current Grimsby deal, and there's a possibility that Artell may look to extend that in an attempt to keep suitors at bay. The midfielder has always been highly thought of throughout his time at Blundell Park, and appears a highly coachable, adaptable footballer, which is another feature that won't have gone unnoticed.

There's every possibility that a League One or Championship club will have taken all this on board, and see Khouri as a diamond they can polish up and improve further.

All at Grimsby will be hoping that by the time January passes, the midfielder (and Gardner) remains on the East Coast and continues his development with the club.

For his part, young forward Gardner scored his first goal for the club in the recent EFL Trophy defeat at Chesterfield, and is a player who appears ahead of his age in terms of physicality and adaptability to the senior game.

The Mariners recently tied the attacker down to a long-term deal, and are in a reasonably strong bargaining position on both Gardner and Khouri, should rivals come calling next month.

Midfielder needs to add a goal threat to his game

Khouri has undoubtedly taken his game to another level this season, buoyed by regular game-time and the belief of his manager.

However, there are still areas of his game that he will be looking to work on and refine, not least adding a genuine goal threat to make him a more well-rounded engine room operator.

Despite finding himself in good positions on occasion, the youngster is yet to find the net for the Mariners, and that composure and calmness when presented with an opportunity is something he'll be looking to implement.

Technically very capable and with a good work ethic, there's every chance the London-born player will be able to do that, and assist his teammates with more regularity, too.

Artell and the Grimsby