£200m written off – lessons Everton must learn in pivotal summer

Following Sean Dyche’s dismissal, David Moyes was appointed manager of Everton for a second time on January 11 and moved the club one point above the relegation zone. They finished the campaign in 13th place, 23 points clear of the bottom three.

There is hope that the return of Moyes, new owners, and the move to a new 52, 888-seat stadium will help the Toffees have a brighter future after years of points deductions and relegation battles.

Everton must now draw lessons from their previous errors to provide better value.

A scattergun transfer policy and the merry-go-round of seven permanent managers, which saw Everton spend money on inflated fees and sizable contracts, impede Farhad Moshiri’s nearly nine-year ownership, which he acquired in 2016 and which saw him buy a majority stake in the team.

Eight players who signed for at least £20 million during Moshiri’s rule now have nothing to write off, resulting in the transfer fee of £188 million written off by Abdoulaye Doucoure’s decision to reject a new deal in May.

If out-of-contract defender Michael Keane leaves this summer after signing from Burnley for an initial £25 million in 2017, that figure will go up significantly.

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman says things “must improve” going forward.

When you’re paying for a player and receiving no return, he said, “it’s not ideal.”

The injury-plagued Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who signed for £25m from Mainz before moving to the French second tier four years later, is on the more congested end of the spectrum.

Before being loaned out four times before leaving for free, Yannick Bolasie, who signed for £25 million from Crystal Palace, scored two Premier League goals.

After signing for £27 million, Cenk Tosun started 14 games on loan at Palace and Besiktas before earning a further five goals in 14 games.

Since Moshiri’s more turbulent years as a manager, transfer successes have been reported.

Jake O’Brien and Iliman Ndiaye have been wise investments, despite the fact that both purchases were required to be funded by the £50 million sale of Belgium international Amadou Onana to Aston Villa.

With 12 players out of contract this summer, 10 from the first team, Moyes’ ability to recruit effectively and Everton’s ability to find success in the transfer market will put the need to overhaul the entire squad at risk.

Although Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are still negotiating, neither captain nor midfielder are currently on their current contracts, although captain Seamus Coleman and midfielder Idrissa Gueye are.

While loaneees Jack Harrison, Jesper Lindstrom, Orel Mangala, and Armando Broja have all returned to their parent clubs, Ashley Young and Doucoure have already confirmed their departures, along with backup goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia.

Carlos Alcaraz’ contract at Everton was signed for £12.5 million in May, but significant gaps still exist in terms of goals, creativity, and depth.

Osman, who played for the club for 437 games between 2003 and 2016, believes that the exodus offers a chance for a “fresh start.”

As the Friedkin Group maneuvers through the PSR’s ramifications, patience may be necessary for any reconstruction.

Osman, who made his Everton debut in 2003 under Moyes, believes that the club needs to keep key players like Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski, and Jordan Pickford while also recruiting more top players to bolster a squad that is rapidly thinning.

He claimed that a Moyes dressing room is “hard, demanding.” They “love the clarity and what he’s asking of them,” they said after speaking with a few members of the squad.

When I played for him, a manager would always ask for that level, and he always did that. O’Brien, who has a strong right-back ability when others believed he couldn’t, is another example. These people must remain on the pitch, according to us.

A right-back, right-winger, and central midfielder are both priorities in the team, as evidenced by the unsuccessful pursuit of new Chelsea striker Liam Delap, who Moyes spoke to. However, departing requires recruitment in almost every position to give squad depth.

Thierno Barry, a Villareal striker currently representing France in the European Under-21 Championship, is reportedly interested by the club.

Following Kevin Thelwell’s departure, Everton have switched to a sports leadership team led by new chief executive Angus Kinnear. The club has since switched from a director-of-football model.

As part of the club’s evolving strategy, he has stated that Everton will use experts in data and analytics, football operations, recruitment, talent identification, and player trading.

Kinnear has also met with the Fan Advisory Board, a far cry from the previous regime, where former manager Dyche described using “Whatsapp and the occasional phone calls” to communicate with then-owner Moshiri.