According to a from The Guardian published earlier this month, Steve Walsh’s tenure as Everton’s Director of Football could come to an end after just four transfer windows at the helm.
The last two have seen Everton shell out an incredible £200million, described by The Guardian as the costliest recruitment drive in the club’s history and the sixth-biggest spend of any team in Europe during that period, but the Toffees have suffered from an imbalanced squad – which many would argue was the underlying factor behind a torrid start to the campaign that saw Ronald Koeman dismissed in October.
Successor Sam Allardyce has weighed in as well, questioning the mental strength of the club’s signings and claiming they haven’t gelled as such an expensively assembled collection of high quality footballers should. Accordingly, Walsh’s position is said to be under review as criticism continues to grow.
But how many of Everton’s signings under Walsh have been complete disasters, and how many have actually proved to be good additions for the Mersyside club? We’re giving Toffees fans the chance to have their say on each acquisition by rating them as a transfer hit or a transfer miss…
Idrissa Gueye
The tough-tackling midfielder was snapped up from Aston Villa for just £7.1million following their relegation and has only rarely been left out of the starting XI when fit, particularly in the Premier League. But he hasn’t always protected Everton’s defence as well as expected and poor discipline has cost the Toffees dearly at times.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Arguably Steve Walsh’s best value-for-money purchase, Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks set for an incredibly bright future having already lifted the U20 World Cup with England and enjoyed runs in the starting XI under Ronald Koeman, David Unsworth and Sam Allardyce. He’s still lacking consistency though and has struggled to lead the line on his own at times.
Jordan Pickford
He’s been the undisputed No.1 since arriving at Goodison Park but Jordan Pickford’s performances have divided opinion. Even when bearing in mind the paltry efforts of those in front of him, the England international has conceded a staggering amount of goals, only keeping clean sheets in eight games. £25million is a heck of a sum to pay for a goalkeeper, especially one who appears perpetually hindered by his modest 6 foot 1 stature.
Ademola Lookman
Certainly an exciting asset but Ademola Lookman hasn’t quite made his way into the starting XI since arriving from Charlton Athletic in January 2017. Seemingly not content with a bit-part role on Merseyside, the promising winger is now on loan at Red Bull Leipzig for the remainder of the season.
Morgan Schneiderlin
A key player during Koeman’s time at Southampton, Morgan Schneiderlin had all the makings of a smart addition when he reunited with the Dutchman at Goodison Park. But the French enforcer has struggled for form – and even a place in the starting XI – and looks a shadow of the player who once earned a big-money move to Manchester United.
Davy Klaassen
Probably Everton’s biggest disappointment from the summer window. Davy Klaassen arrived with a preceding reputation from his time in the Eredivisie but has hardly made a mark on Merseyside, managing just 13 appearances across all competitions. Perhaps the Dutchman can fight his way back into the starting XI in time for next season, but it’s going to be a challenge.
Sandro Ramirez
He was one of the best strikers in La Liga last season but now finds himself loaned out to Sevilla after failing to fill Romelu Lukaku’s almighty void. Sandro Ramirez never looked like the right fit for the Premier League or Everton and there are understandable doubts over whether he has any future on Merseyside. On the other hand, the club will surely make a profit on his original transfer fee which was sourced through a cheap release clause.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney has been arguably Everton’s best player this season, albeit struggling to truly influence games at times, but his preference for the No.10 role has created an endless selection headache also involving Gylfi Sigurdsson and has been key to the imbalance within the squad. Aged 32 and certainly past his best, Everton’s short-term gain in signing Rooney as part of the Lukaku deal has created more significant long-term issues.
Cuco Martina
It’s pretty obvious Cuco Martina will never be the greatest full-back to grace Goodison Park but capable of playing on either side of the defence and picked up without a transfer fee, he’s proved a useful acquisition at times this season. Then again, the former Southampton man’s lack of quality has been painfully evident and clearly had an impact on Everton’s modest defensive record this term.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
We’re still waiting for Everton’s club-record signing to reproduce the level of form he showed at Swansea City, where his dead ball deliveries and finishes from long range kept the Welsh outfit in the top flight. That’s no doubt a consequence of how poorly assembled this Everton squad is though, rather than a question of the Iceland international’s ability, and most Toffees fans will be optimistic of seeing more from Gylfi Sigurdsson next season.
Nikola Vlasic
A relative unknown before Everton snapped him up from Hadjuk Split but Nikola Vlasic has shown real promise during his early outings for the Toffees, the 20-year-old impressing as part of both the midfield and the attack in different systems and under different managers. There’s still a long way to go but £10million is a modest investment for a promising young player in this day and age.
Ashley Williams
It’s safe to say Everton fans haven’t exactly warmed to Ashley Williams and his performances at times have been nothing short of catastrophic, with the Toffees often paying the price for the Welshman’s individual errors. But he wasn’t a particularly costly acquisition and has been involved in the most clean sheets of any signing under Steve Walsh – 24 from 71 appearances.
Cenk Tosun
Cenk Tosun was billed as the Romelu Lukaku replacement Everton failed to find during the summer but he’s endured a difficult start to life under Sam Allardyce, not being used in three of the six games he’s been available for since arriving at Goodison in January. The Toffees gaffer already appears unconvinced by the former Besiktas star.
Theo Walcott
A signing that appeared more Allardyce than Walsh-inspired, Theo Walcott’s enjoyed a strong start to his Everton career and has already given them some much-needed penetrative threat in attack. Toffees fans will be expecting a good end to the season too, with the England international’s place at the World Cup hanging delicately in the balance.
Michael Keane
Rated as one of the best defenders in the Premier League this time last season, Everton spent big on Michael Keane but are yet to truly reap the rewards. Injuries have been a factor too but the England international just hasn’t quite looked himself in Toffees colours and the form he produced for Burnley remains some way off. Nonetheless, Keane’s shown what he can do in the top flight and can still improve at 25 years of age.
