Everton have had a difficult start to the season under Sean Dyche, with the former Burnley manager still trying to find his best team and the best philosophy with which to play them.
Given the obvious dearth of skill at his disposal, this is a significantly more difficult challenge than for the other relegation-threatened clubs, who at the very least have a predetermined play style to which they can stick.
For years, the Toffees have been without an identity, with Frank Lampard failing to restore one, Carlo Ancelotti leaving before he could fully incorporate his, and Ronald Koeman, Marco Silva, and Sam Allardyce all messing things up in the interim. Years of poor decision-making at the top have led them to their current predicament, and only a tiny miracle will keep them alive.
With their new stadium on the horizon, their 52-year-old head coach faces one of the most difficult jobs of his career: steering a rudderless ship to safety. It is commonly assumed that sustaining their Premier League status till their arrival into the Bramley-Moore Dock arena is critical to the seismic club’s survival.
Their declining funds, however, are the result of years of fiscal mismanagement, in which they spent freely and without thinking on players and managers without a plan in place. Farhad Moshiri may be desperately attempting to sell the Toffees at the moment, but most of the blood will remain on his hands, as will that of his much-maligned partner Bill Kenwright.
Who has been Everton’s worst signing?
While some of the club’s worst-ever signings may have occurred prior to the Iranian billionaire’s involvement, it is undeniable that some of the club’s greatest financial outlays have occurred during his tenure, with nine of the top ten record signings coming in with his money.
With one or two notable exceptions, the list features a collection of players who have generally disappointed. Richarlison and Romelu Lukaku were instant successes, with their goals crucial and the revenue generated by their sales crucial as well. Amadou Onana is another who has had a good start and has a value that could yield a large return one day.
However, Yannick Bolasie, Michael Keane, Alex Iwobi, and Moise Kean are all stars who arrived with high expectations but failed to live up to them.
Nonetheless, there have been signings that have been argued to be even worse value for money, considering the sum paid and the production they would provide.
Few stand out more in this sense than Davy Klaassen, who despite not costing a fortune, must be considered one of their worst pound-for-pound signings.
After all, the Dutchman arrived during a summer of major change for Ronald Koeman, who had just led his new team to seventh place in his inaugural season. Although financial support was expected, his tactical ideals remained hazy heading into the new campaign. As a result, he would bring in the midfielder alongside Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson, thereby drowning out the number ten position with three superstars contending for it.
As a result, the club’s record signing and a previous club legend took precedence, and the former Ajax captain would make only 16 appearances on Merseyside, failing to score.
Such a massive underperformance was certain to elicit criticism, with former QPR midfielder Joey Barton labeling him a “complete dud.” Given the enormous expectations placed on him when Netherlands and Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff compared him to Tony Kroos, this is a reasonable assessment.
In an interview in 2022, the underperforming midfielder cited tactics as one of the reasons for his poor performance: “At Everton, I really suffered from culture shock.” If things aren’t going well, they foot the ball forward.”
Although they didn’t have to pay a king’s ransom to entice Klaassen to Goodison Park, he certainly fell short of expectations, making him one of Moshiri’s worst purchases.
Davy Klaassen cost Everton how much?
Such a concept is only accentuated when considering the financial aspects of the agreement, which did leave a mark during a summer in which they spent a total of €158.2 million (£137 million).
While his £23.6m fee was a drop in the ocean of that massive revamp, it has definitely contributed to the club’s ongoing financial woes, which continue to escalate with each passing year.
Such massive bets cannot afford to backfire as frequently as they have, therefore the Toffees appear to be always looking for the next big sale to balance the books.
How much did Davy Klaassen make at Everton?
Although Klaassen would only be on Merseyside for a year, adding his wages to the transfer cost only emphasizes the financial drain the 41-cap washout posed.
After all, his £70,000-per-week salary was absurd in comparison to what he offered, but it was a fair price at the time for someone who had made a name for himself in his nation.
As a result, this statistic adds £3.6m to the total, bringing it to £27.4m. When that was compared to the appearances the 30-year-old made, Koeman’s expensive buy ended up commanding £1.7m for each appearance he made.
Did Davy Klaassen deserve to be paid £70,000 per week?
While the demands were outrageous in retrospect, the entire transaction appeared to be rather clever at the time.
After all, the hardworking midfielder had just finished a productive season in his homeland, scoring 14 goals and assisting ten more in the Eredivisie while also captaining his team to the Europa League final.
Koeman would even brag about the significance of such a signing, saying following his signing: “Davy has made this step in his career at the right time.” He played four seasons for Ajax, gaining experience in Europe and with the Dutch national team. He’ll have to adjust to the fast pace we play, which will be more difficult for him, especially physically, but Davy has grown as a player. He’s smart and can read the game.”
Naturally, it did not happen, and after only one year, he would trade Goodison Park for Werder Bremen. He actually regained some of his form there before returning to Ajax in 2020. He presently plays for Inter Milan, attempting to make a name for himself outside of the Netherlands.
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