The less said about the January 2022 transfer window for Everton, the better, as it is often seen as the one of the lowest point in recent history for the club.
Not only had the powers-that-be at the time made a poor choice for a manager to replace Carlos Ancelotti over the summer, but that decision led to the alienation and subsequent sale of James Rodriguez, not to mention a bevy of other bad outcomes the club is still paying for.
Among those was the signing of two fullbacks: right back Nathan Patterson from Rangers in Scotland, and left back Vitalii Mykolenko from Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine. The window also saw fan-favorite Lucas Digne sold to Aston Villa due to the aforementioned managerial strife, and additions of Dele Alli, Donny van der Beek on loan from Manchester United, and Anwar El Ghazi on loan from Villa.
Makes you shudder, huh?
Technically, both Patterson and Mykolenko are still with the team, although the Scottish right back hasn't featured much during his tenure due to injuries and a lack of trust from multiple managers. But the latest rumors suggest that the Ukrainian isn't leaving any time soon.
Back in April, Everton insider The Bobble suggested that clauses in the contracts of both Mykolenko and center back Michael Keane would be triggered to keep them around for another season. A few days later, Keane's contract was indeed extended, but the talk around the left back died down.
But now two sources, both The Bobble and Fabrizio Romano, are coming forward with news about Mykolenko, with the latter going so far as to report that it's a deal that runs until June 2029.
Mykolenko has often been a solid, defensive-minded left back, but in the modern game, where fullbacks bombing up and down the pitch are the norm and not the exception to the rule, he stands out as a limited player.
Sure, he can often put in a shift against some of the Premier League's top wingers, but it forces him to be anonymous elsewhere on the pitch, which is pronounced even further because of his deficiencies there already.
With Adam Aznou less than an afterthought since his arrival this summer, on some level, it makes sense to keep Mykolenko around. But continuing to rely on him as the only left back, or even as the regular starter at the position, feels like a mistake if the Toffees really have devices about contending for Europe next season.
And if the plan is to use him as a depth option for a more attack-minded player they bring in over the summer, then extending his deal makes even less sense.
This feels like another move that suggests Everton don't really have much of a plan when it comes to the transfer window, something that has to be concerning heading into the transfer period.
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