Everton end of season loan verdict: Attacking Midfield

We assess the performance of every Everton player who spent time on loan this season. In part two, we look at the Blues attacking midfielders: Ademola Lookman, Kieran Dowell and Kevin Mirallas.

Mere weeks into the offseason and a lot has changed at Everton. In Marcel Brands, the Blues have a new director of football, whilst long-courted Marco Silva was announced as manager earlier this week.

One of the first tasks the new men face will be to evaluate the squad – both in terms identifying potential bargaining chips as well as foundational pieces.

Some of the most intriguing players under contract however were no where near the first team last season. Indeed, many were on loan in England, with some travelling further afield.

In our last loan verdict, we discussed the fortunes of the strikers who left Everton on loan this season. Here, we move away from the goalmouth and assess the performance of some of the Blues’ premier prospects in offensive midfield.

Ademola Lookman

Club: RB Leipzig

Appearances: 11

Goals: 5

Ademola Lookman’s starring performance against Apollon Limassol was one of the few brightspots of Everton’s dire Europa League campaign. Sadly, this didn’t translate into extra gametime under Sam Allardyce, and Lookman left for RB Leipzig.

Lookman demonstrated his burgeoning star quality in his short loan spell in Germany, scoring five goals in just 11 games.

This is an impressive contribution, considering the fact he earned his minutes with a Red Bull team that has far more attacking strength and depth than Everton.

Indeed, the 20-year-old winger did not look out of place alongside stars like Timo Werner, Emil Forsberg and Naby Keita.

It goes without saying that Lookman’s spell with Leipzig proved that he could excel at Everton. And, with a new manager, the former Charlton prospect will have the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his calibre in a more attack-minded team.

The problem lies in whether Lookman himself wants to continue on Merseyside. According to the Liverpool Echo, Leipzig are keen on making a permanent move. It is likely other top clubs will be interested too.

If Lookman stays at Goodison, he could well be a difference maker next season. Marco Silva must fend off advances from Leipzig or any other European heavyweights.

Performance on loan: 9/10

Likelihood of exit: 6/10

Likelihood of impact: 7/10

Kieran Dowell

Club: Nottingham Forest

Appearances: 43

Goals: 10

Kieran Dowell experienced a meteoric rise up the Everton depth chart in the first half of the 2017-18 season. On loan at Nottingham Forest, Dowell scored nine goals before the New Year, including an eye-catching hattrick against Hull City.

This dynamic play had some precedent; Dowell also dominated the under-21s league for The Blues in 16-17. However few expected him to demonstrate such class in the Championship.

The second half of the season saw Dowell crash back down to earth. From February, the 20-year-old started just six games for Forest, spending the remainder of his time on the bench.

A series of poor performances saw the Nottingham fans and local press lose faith in the young midfielder. As journalist, Paul Taylor put it in the Nottingham Post:

"Dowell’s influence faded in the final months. [He is] A young man with a bright future, but it might not be at Forest."

It seems likely that Dowell is not quite ready for the Premier League. Another Championship loan spell looks near certain. Still, the Ormskirk born Evertonian made some huge steps forward this season. Expect him to break through in the next few years.

Performance on loan: 7/10

Likelihood of exit: 3/10

Likelihood of impact: 5/10

Kevin Mirallas

Club: Olympiacos

Appearances: 15

Goals: 2

Kevin Mirallas had a torrid season before departing Merseyside for a loan spell with Olympiacos. He was at the centre of a training ground bust-up in November, and did little to impress on the pitch with the Everton first team.

Despite a hero’s welcome in Greece, Mirallas’s season saw little improvement. Admittedly, some of this wasn’t his fault. The Greek League was postponed for several weeks due to a firearms incident – making it hard for the Belgian winger to pick up momentum.

However, he failed to shine when he did play, and saw his loan terminated in early May. According to TBR Football, this was due to a series of poor performances.

Next: Everton again linked with Norwich players

The 2017-18 season has been a disaster for Kevin Mirallas. He agitated for a move, then failed to perform. Moreover, he lost his place in the Belgian international side, meaning he will miss the Red Devils’ best chance at a World Cup win in a generation. He will probably leave Everton this summer. It seems unlikely though that he will rediscover his form anytime soon.

Performance on loan: 4/10

Likelihood of exit: 8/10

Likelihood of impact: 4/10