Everton FC: Sandro Ramirez has a lot to live up to

The newest arrival at Goodison Park will wear the number nine shirt, but how will Sandro Ramirez compare to other Everton legends to don the iconic jersey?

So it’s finally official. Well…sort of. Everton have signed Sandro Ramirez from Malaga, at least according to Sky Sports.

Referring to sources, Sky Sports reports that Everton have agreed a five-year deal with Ramirez. The deal was completed, after they met his buy-out clause of £5.25 million.

Adding even more intrigue to the move, is what jersey the 21-year old will wear this coming season. According to Uche Amako of the Sunday Express, he will don Everton’s iconic number nine shirt.

If true, Ramirez has some big shoes to fill, by deciding to put on the original and arguably still the best number nine shirt in English football history.

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Of course, the main Everton player that comes to mind is Dixie Dean – the first man to wear the iconic number. With 383 goals in a Blues shirt, Ramirez won’t be threatening that particular club record.

However, even if we remove Dean from the equation, the youngster still faces almost unfair comparisons to others who have worn the number nine shirt. This includes a certain Graeme Sharp, who played for the Toffees between 1980-1991.

During that time, Sharp helped Everton win two league titles, one FA Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup. In terms of goals, he is second in club history, with 159 strikes.

It’s telling that the top-five goal scorers of all-time for Everton, all wore the number nine shirt. And the club’s glorious history doesn’t stop there, when you consider the likes of Duncan Ferguson, Andy Gray and Tommy Lawton also played in the iconic jersey.

In fairness to Ramirez, he doesn’t appear to be the type of player who is fazed too much by pressure. As one of Spain’s brightest young talents he’s had the ideal training, after coming up through the Barcelona youth setup.

Further hope comes from the fact the Las Palmas, Spain native is coming off a season, where he scored a career-high 16 goals. Now, we wait to see if he has what it takes to deliver the goods for Everton – a lot is expected of him.

Next: Are Everton genuinely interested in Olivier Giroud?

What kind of success are you predicting for Ramirez in an Everton shirt? Even if he can’t live up to the reputation of previous players who wore the number nine jersey, will he at least be a good replacement for Romelu Lukaku? Share your thoughts in the comments section.