It's strange to see Everton's first signing this early in the summer, but with the announcement of Charly Alcaraz's new contract after coming in on loan this January, the Toffees have defied their normal standards and done just that.
In a summer that will feature an off-kilter transfer window due to the Club World Cup happening around the world, it's good to see Everton get off to a good start by bringing Alcaraz on before he had a chance to be shopped out elsewhere. And with Idrissa Gana Gueye's extension reportedly coming next week, it's an excellent start to what will be a busy summer on the blue half of Merseyside.
Still, in spite of the generally positive response to the Argentine's return to the club, there is one peculiar element of the deal that has most supporters scratching their heads: namely, the length of the deal.
Everton's initial announcement noted that the deal would "see 22-year-old sign for the Blues until the end of June 2027," and quick math told supporters that Alcaraz's contract would only keep him in a blue shirt for two seasons. Given his age, this is sort of an odd thing for the Toffees to agree to.
Not to mention that a two-year deal doesn't help much with PSR regulations, since there's no way to extend the wages past the length of the contract to help with those pesky numbers.
On the surface, this feels like an odd choice for Everton, given how much trouble they've had with PSR in recent years and, from a footballing perspective, how much growth Alcaraz could still showcase since he's so young.
Why not lock into a longer deal, say four or five years, that would both allow flexibility on the wage bill and also give Everton an opportunity to make a massive profit if the player excels and they opt to see him in a few years while he's still very much in his prime?
It's certainly possible that Alcaraz and his agents wanted more flexibility on their side of things, and being able to get out of the deal in just two years would give them just that. Theoretically, he'd have control over his own destiny and still be just 24 years old.
However, Patrick Boyland of The Athletic threw a small wrench into this plan, as he reported that he's hearing there's a club option for a third year on the deal, although there's no indication of if that's just an easy club trigger or if there are performance-based elements involved.
In the end, the third year option seems to work in favor of both the club and the player.
If Alcaraz doesn't work out, Everton can get out of the deal rather quickly, but if he's excellent, then they can trigger the option and look to extend him even further at that point.
It still seems peculiar to frame the contract this way, and the hope is that Alcaraz doesn't become embittered at any point during that time frame and try to force his way out.
Otherwise, this is a great deal for Everton, as they get an excellent player on a reasonable deal who should help them in the move to the new stadium next season.