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Everton have conducted some questionable business in the transfer market in recent years, signing multiple players who have failed to make any impact at the club.
Morgan Schneiderlin joined the Toffees from Manchester United for £24m before struggling to prove any sort of worth for his hefty fee, before departing the club for a minimal fee just a few years after his move to Merseyside.
The club spent more than £100m on new additions during the 2019/20 season, with players such as Alex Iwobi joining for around £35m.
However, the club also purchased another talent who had huge expectations upon his move to England, but he's failed to take the Premier League by storm, with his time at Everton tarnished by injuries.
After joining the club for £22m from Barcelona during the summer of 2019, midfielder Andre Gomes was viewed as a player who could catapult the Toffees back into the European places.
He initially joined Everton back in 2018 on loan before a permanent deal was secured. However, Gomes has failed to live up to the early promise he showed in a Toffees shirt over his lengthy current five-year stay.
His time at Goodison Park has been scattered with injury issues, with the Portuguese midfielder on the receiving end of a Heung-min Son tackle which left him with a serious ankle injury in 2019.
|
Gomes' injury problems at Everton |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Injury |
Days missed |
Games missed |
|
2019/20 |
Bruised ribs |
32 |
6 |
|
2019/20 |
Ankle injury |
109 |
19 |
|
2021/22 |
Calf injury |
75 |
10 |
|
2023/24 |
Fitness issue |
112 |
16 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Gomes has only managed 11 appearances in all competitions for Sean Dyche's side this campaign, with the Toffees boss preferring the likes of James Garner and Idrissa Gueye ahead of the 30-year-old.
The midfielder has managed to feature 111 times for Everton since he arrived on Merseyside, but with his injury record coupled with his contract which expires at the end of the season, the club may need to brutally get rid of the Portuguese playmaker to raise needed funds.
After joining the club permanently, the midfielder signed a contract worth £112k-per-week, as per Spotrac, making him the club's third-highest earner behind Abdoulaye Doucoure and Jordan Pickford.
However, his lack of game time has seen the 30-year-old's market value rapidly decline, with Gomes now only valued at £4.2m, as per CIES Football Observatory – a figure that is lower than teammate James Tarkowski, who is valued at £8.5m.
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That truly does put it into perspective considering that Tarkowksi is actually older, at 31, and was snapped up on a free from Burnley in 2022, in contrast to the £22m dished out on Gomes.
It's a real shame to see a player who had a lot of talent fade away, with injuries the main cause of the latter man's downfall at Goodison Park.
Despite his troubles, football is a ruthless industry and given the club's precarious position with the Premier League's strict PSR and FFP rules, Dyche needs to make the brutal decision to part ways with the Portuguese midfielder at the end of the campaign.
His weekly wage would see the club save £6.2m each year, a figure that simply can't be turned down given the Toffees' battle to comply with the PSR rules in the future.
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In the years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Manchester United have spent lots of money on signings who have ultimately not worked out, for whatever reason. In total, the Red Devils are believed to have spent over £1.5b since their legendary manager left the dugout in 2013.
Indeed, not every major singing United have made has been a complete failure. The best example is Bruno Fernandes, who is now the club’s captain. He has scored 79 goals and has registered 64 assists in just 239 games for the club, incredible output and superb value for money, considering they paid just £46.6m initially.
However, some signings have sadly not proven to work out in the end for both United and the player. Perhaps the best example of this is Romelu Lukaku, who signed for United in July 2017. The 42 goals he scored in 96 games for the club may not seem the worst at face value, but given the club spent £75m on the Belgian, the numbers certainly are frustrating.
However, there is one more recent signing who may end up proving to be worse value for money than others, considering the amount United spent on him, and the weekly wage he currently earns.
The player in question here is English attacker Jadon Sancho, who joined United with so much expectation that he would become a superstar. Sadly, it did not work out for the 24-year-old, and he is now back at Borussia Dortmund on loan, the club United paid £73m to for Sancho.
Despite being out on loan in Germany for the remainder of the season, Sancho is shockingly still one of the highest earners at United. According to Capology, he earns £190k-per-week, making him the club’s eighth-highest earner. Remarkably, that means he has earned the best part of £20m during his opening two years with the club. In short, it's been terrible business by the old regime.
One of the people who earns more than him is England teammate Marcus Rashford, whose £300k-per-week salary is fewer than just two players. Many United fans dreamed of seeing the duo tear things up on the pitch for the Red Devils, but, sadly, things did not work out that way.
In his 82 games for United, Sancho scored just 12 goals, and registered six assists. Unsurprisingly, given the fact he has played 399 games for the club, Rashford’s tally is much better; he has 131 goals and 64 assists in that time. However, he is having a tough season in 2023/24 and has just eight goals and five assists in all competitions so far. That tally still happens to be better than his fellow countryman who can boast only five goal involvements.
Surprisingly, the duo linked up for a goal just three times in 56 games for United together; at home to Southampton in 2021/22, away to Leicester in 2022/23 and away to Tottenham in the same season.
United could well look to move both Rashford and Sancho on this summer. According to James Ducker of The Telegraph, they are said to be considering moving Rashford on, although David Ornstein says they prefer to keep their number 10 at the club beyond this season. However, Sancho is still one player who could depart Old Trafford in search of pastures anew next season.
Despite struggling during his time back in England, there is little doubt that Sancho is a quality player when in form. He has an unbelievably good record at Borussia Dortmund, across both spells at the club. In total, Sancho has 53 goals and 66 assists in 153 games.
During his current loan stint, the 24-year-old has had a decent time of it, registering three goals and two assists. He has also helped his side qualify for the Champions League semi-finals, where they face a showdown against Kylian Mbappe’s PSG.
The general consensus amongst onlookers when discussing Sancho’s profile and attributes is that, instead of playing out wide, he is far more suited as an interior, playing as an advanced eight or number 10, where he would thrive.
The main reason for this is Sancho’s lack of explosive speed, which all of the elite wingers in today’s game possess. Think Rashford, Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Junior. In another era, Sancho may well have suited playing out wide, however, since the game has evolved, his profile certainly suits that of an interior player much more.
Despite the fact Sancho does not possess the explosive nature of a modern winger, he is still an exceptional ball carrier, something which stands out when watching him. According to Fbref, the 24-year-old averages 5.68 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 7% of positionally similar players in Europe, and 2.65 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 10%.
He has a low centre of gravity and superb close control, meaning the ability to slalom in and out of defenders with nimble agility is a real feature of his game. Not only that, Sancho has bags of tricks, skills he honed by playing cage football in the streets of Kennington growing up. He is not afraid to show off those tricks in a professional game, bringing them out at times to help him get past a defender.
Not only is he a tricky dribbler, but Sancho is also a creative player who can craft out openings in the final third for teammates. In fact, he averages 2.38 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 8% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe. He also averages 2.27 key passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 80th percentile overall.
Sancho is a player who is superb in combination play with a winger, full-back or midfielder. He is superb at playing in triangles to bypass opponents and shows his high levels of football IQ when playing in and around the penalty box, to work openings for him or a teammate.
The main concern for the forward moving back into midfield is his ability out of possession. The 24-year-old is not the strongest of players, and can sometimes lose physical duels or challenges. However, his 5.3 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which rank him in the top 15% of wingers and attacking midfielders, mean he is capable off the ball.
There is no doubt that, in the the right system, Sancho could thrive in a central area of the pitch, as an advanced eight or number 10. That said, due to his record in England, the Dortmund loanee simply has to be shown the exit door from OId Trafford by INEOS this summer.
He could still be a shrewd pick-up for a club looking to sign someone with his profile. The winger is a superb carrier, has good creative output and can score goals too. Even if it won't be in Manchester, there is no doubt Sancho still has a big future ahead.
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The agent of a Manchester United target described as a "monster" was "in attendance" to watch the defeat to Arsenal over the weekend, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils were beaten 1-0 at home to the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, with a woeful season at Old Trafford now thankfully having just one game remaining in it. Huge changes are needed within the squad during the summer transfer window, and it could even be that Erik ten Hag's days are numbered, too.
Many players are being linked with summer moves to United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly keen on acquiring the services of Manchester City defender Yan Couto, which could be controversial, given the rivalry between the two clubs. The 21-year-old has been on loan at high-flying Girona this season, bagging eight assists in 33 appearances in La Liga and helping them to second place in the table.
If Ten Hag does stay on as manager, he could target some former players, and it is believed that he is "crazy" about the idea of snapping up Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The pair worked together effectively as Ajax, coming within seconds of reaching the 2019 Champions League final.
Benfica ace Joao Neves has been linked with United a number of times throughout this season, arguably being considered one of Europe's most exciting young midfielders – he has a £100m release clause in his current deal.
Taking to X, Romano claimed that Manchester United target Benjamin Sesko's agent was at Old Trafford to watch the weekend loss against Arsenal: "Benjamin Sesko’s agent was in attendance at Old Trafford for Manchester United-Arsenal. Here’s Elvis Basanovic posting from the stadium ahead of summer transfer window."
This is further evidence to suggest that Sesko is a genuine target ahead of the summer window, with the RB Leipzig star a young striker with an enormous amount of potential. Various reports have suggested that United could sign him at the end of the season, and his agent being present at Old Trafford will only add to the rumours.
Still only 20 years of age, he has already achieved so much in the game, scoring 11 goals in 27 caps for Slovenia, and also a combined 46 times for RB Salzburg and Leipzig. Journalist Sripad has even compared him to Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen.
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In Rasmus Hojlund, United already have an excellent young centre forward of whom big things are expected, but Sesko could come in and provide competition and ease the burden on the Norwegian. To have two exciting attacking options to lead the line would increase both depth and quality in the squad, with the Leipzig star coming in as a direct replacement for Anthony Martial.
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After failing to make it back-to-back top four finishes in the Premier League, Newcastle United are reportedly set to make a ruthless decision at St James' Park this summer.
PIF certainly aren't messing around ahead of the summer transfer window, with an agreement reportedly reached to sign Lloyd Kelly on a free deal and the same deal being targeted for Tosin Adarabioyo. The two free agent arrivals will ease Eddie Howe's depth problem at the back and should go a long way in covering for the injured Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.
It's not all incomings news, however. Reports suggest that Bruno Guimaraes could yet leave in what would deal the Magpies a major blow this summer. The Midfielder is undoubtedly one of, if not the most important player under Howe and losing him to a top four rival would leave Newcastle in a perilous position when chasing the European spots.
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Whilst PIF are reluctant to let Guimaraes leave though, the same can't be said for Callum Wilson. According to Craig Hope, Newcastle now want to sell Wilson this summer amid interest from Saudi Arabia.
Hope said, via Geordie Boot Boys: “It has long been my information now that Callum Wilson will move on this summer. One year left on his contract, 32-years-old, and because of those issues with selection.
"The hierarchy have taken the view that the time has come, while there is still value in the player, while they may get £5million to £10million. There has been talk of Saudi Arabia, a move abroad. I think that makes sense for the club. I can see why the club are looking at this.”
Those at St James' Park now look increasingly-likely to clear Wilson's reported £46k-a-week salary from their wage bill, whilst adding to their summer spending budget in the process.
Newcastle may be ready to sell Wilson, but that doesn't mean they don't need to replace the former Bournemouth forward should he secure his departure this summer. As things stand, with only Alexander Isak up front, Howe will be left searching for makeshift options without the back-up of Wilson next season. Finding a younger, but similarly clinical option to step into the forward's role should be one of Newcastle's summer priorities.
Reports suggest that PIF are well aware of that too, with links recently emerging to Youssef En-Nesyri who certainly ticks the aforementioned boxes. It will take quite the player to win Howe over the way Wilson did, however, given how the two worked together at Bournemouth and then at Newcastle.
The Magpies boss rarely hid his praise for the forward, telling Sky Sports: "He's been incredible and I feel that his performance was right up there with one of the best I've seen him play, purely from a tactical perspective. He has to lead the press and the one we bounce off initially. He kept going right until the end and his goalscoring record is excellent."
Despite Manchester United's poor start to the Premier League, boss Erik ten Hag remains confident that the results will start coming for his side.
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Next season could well end up being a make-or-break campaign for Brandon Thomas-Asante at West Bromwich Albion, having underwhelmed when his team needed him to step up in crucial Championship playoff matches.
The first leg stalemate against Southampton was crying out for a striker from the Baggies to take the game by the scruff of its neck, only for the former Salford City man to fail to register a single on-target effort on Alex McCarthy's net.
The tie would work in the favour of the Saints after this, with West Brom in dire need of some fresh bodies going forward in the summer, especially if Mikey Johnston returns to Scotland with Celtic after a blistering loan stint from down the wings.
West Brom could continue their pursuit of this entertaining attacker as a result, who has just tasted promotion up to the second tier with his current employers in dramatic fashion.
Last month, The Sun reported that West Brom – alongside a whole host of other Championship outfits – were eyeing up former Norwich City winger Josh Murphy, with the Oxford United man available on a free transfer potentially.
After Murphy's heroics at Wembley to secure the U's an unbelievable promotion with two strikes, his side upsetting the odds by beating the heavily fancied Bolton Wanderers 2-0, the 29-year-old will no doubt be even more in demand – especially if he doesn't put pen to paper on a new deal at the Kassam Stadium soon.
Murphy could sign a new deal with his now second-tier team though, with his Dad revealing to the Oxford Mail that his 'preference' could be to stay with Des Buckingham's outfit in the aftermath of the promotion celebrations, but the former Canaries forward might well have his head turned by Carlos Corberan's team.
Thomas-Asante would love having Murphy around if he were to relocate to the Hawthorns, with the 29-year-old picking up 16 goal contributions this season for Buckingham's underdogs.
The slick 5 foot 8 winger would also fill the void left behind by Johnston effectively, eager to show off his best for a team aiming to win promotion up to the Premier League once more, after being let go of by Norwich in 2018.
Murphy has been wreaking havoc with his directness on the ball for Oxford this season, always darting forward with one end goal in mind – to have a shot on goal, or tee up a teammate for a chance to slot home.
Thomas-Asante could well feed off Murphy's blistering darts forward, therefore, with the out-of-sorts 25-year-old excelling early into his Baggies career by operating as a poacher-like striker aiming to fire home off scraps given to him.
It's not as if Thomas-Asante doesn't have a clinical edge in his arsenal when going forward, having still fired in 11 strikes this season in league action despite going through notable barren patches.
Murphy will also be hungry to succeed and take his game to the next level at West Brom alongside Thomas-Asante, having had to drop down to League One to rebuild his career after being tipped for great things at Carrow Road.
|
Josh Murphy's numbers at Oxford |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games played |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2023/24 |
38 |
10 |
6 |
|
2022/23 |
24 |
0 |
3 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
|||
The improving 29-year-old, who was described as a "wonderful person" by U's manager Buckingham right after promotion was clinched, might want to seize his opportunity whilst he can to join a side with aspirations of top-flight football.
Thomas-Asante will just hope Murphy can rub off on him if the two link up at the Hawthorns next season, striking fear into Championship defences consequently.
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