Everton scout Andy De Smet has confirmed that the club are keeping tabs on Club Brugge defender Bjorn Engels.

The 21-year-old has been linked with the Toffees in the past few weeks, with Belgian journalist Kristoff Terreur stating that Everton were watching the centre-half.

The Blues are looking to add to their defensive ranks this summer as speculation continues to surround the future of England international John Stones.

And De Smet, who has been an Everton scout since the summer of 2014, revealed in an interview with Sports/Football Magazine, via the Liverpool Echo, that the Goodison Park-based side’s interest was true.

Everton are closely following Belgian defender Bjorn Engels. #EFC have watched him several times. No offers as yet. pic.twitter.com/0jGau3MBs4 — Kristof Terreur 📰 (@HLNinEngeland) May 6, 2016

He said: “He is in any case a central defender with a lot of qualities in the building from behind, so in that sense it Björn profile fits in there.

“Now, all English clubs follow a lot of young players long and intensive in order to correctly assess their potential and scope for growth.

“So it is not because a broker in the press throws a scout from a Premier League club often in the stands was a transfer is imminent.”

The Echo goes on to state, however, that Everton have not launched a bid to sign Engels, but that they are merely tracking the youngster’s availability.

The 6’4 Belgium Under-19 international is thought to be valued at £5m, and would join national colleagues Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas if he were to join Everton at some point in the future.