We live in a world where the cost of living is increasing by the year, and the football world prices are eclipsing that mark. The price for players these days, whether they are young, English, or simply put in a few good performances, is seeing new extremes.
Alexander Isak’s price tag is so steep that it makes the British transfer record look like pocket change. Remaining on the other side of the Mersey, the neighbours have splashed over £180 million on Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, while a Swedish striker with a trademark celebration that screams “go big or go home.”
And then there’s Manchester United, somehow spending even more, despite everyone suspecting their cash flow has been on life support for months.
Could those extremes be at play here? Everton have had a bid rejected a £27 million offer for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling this week, with reports suggesting the club are prepared to go higher. A bid of around £35-40 million is thought likely to be accepted by the Championship side.
Everton fans are rejoicing at the prospect of signing a genuine wide attacking player, rather than a striker or attacking central midfielder playing in that position, and forcing a square peg into a round hole.
Let’s start with the more convincing argument: £35 million could turn out to be a bargain, especially after Southampton outlandishly quoted around £100 million for a player who’s yet to complete a full season, perhaps to ward off the bigger clubs from sniffing around. That figure doesn’t stack up when compared to the justified fees paid for players like Jack Grealish and Declan Rice, given their experience and proven quality.
The England U17 and U18 international possesses a dribbling ability that’s increasingly rare in today’s game. He can take on defenders, commit them, and beat them, something we saw as he shone brightly in what was otherwise an abysmal campaign for Southampton.
Now, with a full season under his belt, it’s worth looking at the negatives behind that price tag. The youngster played an entire Premier League campaign, contributing just two goals and no assists. Across 33 appearances, he created only 20 chances for his teammates, averaging roughly one chance per 90 minutes.
For a £35 million fee, even allowing for his age, that level of productivity hardly justifies a sizable chunk of the transfer budget, especially when you consider that Antony Elanga only cost £20 million more, yet delivered six goals and 11 assists over the same period.
The player has described Southampton as “home” after returning to the club following a brief two-month stint at Chelsea during his youth career. But could a move to Everton, far from the familiarity of Southampton’s surroundings and comforts, prove to be a step too far, where we don’t see the best out of him?
Once the ink dries on the contract, we’ll find out if that price tag is a masterstroke, or just another costly flop in the transfer market.