Everton had a highly successful winter transfer window
The January transfer window madness has finally ended. Getting transfer business done in January is already an arduous task but Everton have managed to do an outstanding task. The Toffees have addressed the deficient areas in the squad making a total of five signing in the window.
It is truly commendable given that Everton were also distracted with a mid-season managerial search after sacking Rafa Benitez mid January. The Toffees had got three pieces of transfer business, acquiring Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko on permanent deals, meanwhile acquiring Anwar El Ghazi on loan.
Then the club had to put their plans on hold as the search began to find Benitez’s replacement. Wayne Rooney, Vitor Pereira, Duncan Ferguson, Fabio Cannavaro and a few others had been discussed but in the end it was Frank Lampard who won the managerial race.
Everton were also hoping to offload some fringe players and Lucas Digne after the Frenchman had a fallout with Benitez. There were concerns over breaching the Profit and Sustainability rules but the Toffees have done some smart work to protect themselves and not make a huge net spend in the transfer window.
Here are all the incomings and the outgoings with total spending and sales of Everton:
Vitaliy Mykolenko was the first signing for Everton in January
Incomings:
1. Vitaliy Mykolenko
Mykolenko arrives as a replacement to Digne, who was sold to Aston Villa. Digne was sold because of his problems with Rafa Benitez but in a space of few days, Benitez himself faced the sack. Mykolenko has arrived from Dynamo Kyiv for £17 million on a permanent deal, signing a contract until summer 2026.
Mykolenko draws comparisons to Digne for his crossing characteristics along with his aggressive style of play. The Ukrainian doesn’t shy away from joining the attack and enjoys width and space provided to him. Under Frank Lampard, Mykoelnko may get additional freedom to get into the final third which will in turn help the chances of Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring.
2. Nathan Patterson
After years of prayers, the football gods finally answered as Everton managed to sign a long term successor to Seamus Coleman. Patterson arrived from Rangers for a deal worth £12 million plus add-ons, making it a record transfer fee received by Rangers in their history. The Scottish right back has signed a five year deal keeping him at the club until summer 2027.
While Patterson is still young and unpolished, he hasn’t been straight away drafted into the team like Mykolenko. Perhaps, Everton will want to swiftly transition from Coleman to Patterson to avoid overburdening the 21 year old who will take time to adjust to the drastic jump from the Scottish league to the Premier League. But with Lampard taking over, he could be tempted to experiment and give the youth a chance.
Everton signed Anwar El Ghazi on loan
3. Anwar El Ghazi
After acquiring Patterson and Mykolenko, the Toffees were in the market for a winger and managed to sign Anwar El Ghazi on loan from Aston Villa. The winger scored just one goal in nine Premier league appearances this season and was given the green light to leave as Villa are well stacked in the attack.
El Ghazi remained on the bench as an uncalled substitute as Everton lost 2-1 to Norwich City. His arrival adds some depth on the wings with the Toffees currently having Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend, Anthony Gordon and Alex Iwobi.
4. Dele Alli
Technically, Dele Alli was Everton’s last signing of the winter transfer window, completing his move from Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day. The Toffees were locked in negotiations on deadline day and got Spurs to agree in a fairly innovative deal.
We all know Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is a shrewd businessman and carrying out negotiations with him is a complex task but the Toffees managed to quickly get through with it and strike a remarkable deal. Alli arrives from Spurs on a free transfer and Everton will only be obliged to pay £10 million once the Englishman has 20 appearances under his belt.
The deal could go up to £40 million but that is dependent on team performances and individual performances. If Everton does end up paying £40 million, it would translate that Everton have secured exceptional results on the pitch and Alli has been a phenomenon for the team.
This is a smartly engineered deal where Everton are likely to pay the £10 million only next season as the maximum number of games Alli can play this season is 18. Since he’s cup tied in the FA Cup, he can only feature in the 18 remaining Premier League games.
If Lampard can revive Alli’s form and confidence, he could become the world beater he was destined to be.
Donny van de Beek arrives at Everton on a simple loan
5. Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek joined Everton on a loan deal from Manchester United. One of the names discussed with Lampard during the interviews was of Van de Beek and the former Chelsea boss wanted the Dutchman.
Crystal Palace were also interested in bringing Van de Beek on loan. The Toffees agreed to terms with Manchester United, covering 100% of player’s wages and paying a loan fee as well. Van de Beek chose to move to Goodison Park as he hopes to play regularly and bring his career back on track.
The Dutchman adds much needed depth in the midfield as Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph remain sidelined with injuries. One can debate that incorporating Van de Beek and Alli in the same team will be difficult because both operate in similar roles but that is a headache Lampard will fancy to bring out the best in both players.
This is a simple loan deal with no option to buy as Manchester United want Van de Beek back for the 2022-23 season.
6. Billy Crellin
Everton U-23 side completed the signing of goalkeeper Billy Crellin from Fleetwood Town. The 21 year old signed two and a half year deal with the Merseyside outfit. Crellin made his senior debut for Fleetwood in October 2018 and has had loan spells at Bolton Wanderers and Chorley.
The total transfer spending for Everton was £29 million in transfer fees.
Lucas Digne left after playing 127 games for Everton
Outgoings:
1. Lucas Digne
Digne moved to Aston Villa after spending three and a half years at Goodison, becoming a fan favourite in the process. The Frenchman had an argument with Benitez during training after which the duo’s relationship degraded and reached a point of no return.
Against Brighton, despite having Digne fit and available, Benitez used Coleman as a left back which proved to be a disastrous move as the Toffees lost 3-2. The arrival of Mykolenko confirmed the end of Digne’s time at Everton.
Chelsea and Inter Milan were interested parties but no offers came through and instead it was Villa who came with a £25 million offer. The Toffees accepted the offer and Digne moved to Steven Gerrard’s Villa.
2. Lewis Warrington
Everon U-23 midfielder Lewis Warrington has completed his loan move to League Two side Tranmere Rovers. The League Two outfit is chasing promotion, sitting second and wanted a midfielder to strengthen their side. Warrington has featured for 16 times for David Unsworth’s side and continues to impress from the midfield.
The total transfer fee received is £25 million.
Everton Net spend = +£4 million
Was the January transfer window a resounding success?