Everton’s chequered past in the transfer market is an indisputable thing, but there is something to admire about the club’s readiness to cash in on top talents when they no longer want to play under the Goodison Park lights. This summer’s sale of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa for a £50m fee is a prime example of this. While the Toffees sold Onana on the back of interest from top European clubs, there’s been no love lost between the club and their youth product, who is booed upon every return to Goodison Park.
The previous high-priced sale of homegrown Anthony Gordon is also seen in a different light now. Everton sold Gordon to Newcastle United in a deal worth £45m in January 2023, following the winger’s transfer request and his subsequent exclusion from Frank Lampard’s side. There’s been no weeping and wailing in the absence of the Scouse-born winger, who handed in his request to force a move away from the club.
It’s a good thing, in hindsight, that the Merseysiders cashed in on the player when they did, as his head was undoubtedly turned and he was only earning a paltry £10,000 a week. It was a good situation, and in £15m summer recruit Iliman Ndiaye, Everton might have found their new star wide forward. What’s more, his arrival gave impetus for the Merseysiders to greenlight a plethora of new deals, making what was once a Lucas Boys’ side, a far more competitive one.
Everton’s transfer history over recent years has indeed been chequered, with Brazilian midfielder Allan being a prime example. The 31-year-old ply his trade with the side at around the same time as Gordon, however, he cost Farhad Moshiri and co far more, his £20m switch from Napoli being the initial fee paid. His current £35,000-a-week wage may be double the £15,000-a-week wage that Jarrad Branthwaite earns under Sean Dyche’s wing today, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more disappointing signing in recent times. His delivery on the pitch hasn’t justified his hefty wage packet, and some would argue that his signing marked the beginning of Everton’s decline. Considering the club’s woeful financial state, some fans would no doubt feel that Allan’s arrival was a step in the wrong direction.
Given that Everton have been plagued by PSR breaches in recent times, this is the exact kind of deal that will be looked back on with regret. A different track might have yielded far more auspicious results, with fans and owners alike left to wonder what might have been if the point of attack had been more secure. Instead, Everton’s attacking options look as fragile as ever, leaving many to believe that the Merseysiders will once again be in a dogfight for survival at the end of the season.
