Are the Toffees Justified in Spending Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop?

Whilst there has been a fair bit of transfer activity already with regards to the Premier League, Everton really are wasting no time in bringing players into the club. It could probably be noted that the club are acting preemptively in the transfer market: Romelu Lukaku has already joined Manchester United from the Toffees for a fee of around £75m, which could rise to £90m depending on bonuses, and the big Belgian always looked set to leave this summer after recently revealing his desire to play Champions League football.

Source: Squawka News via Twitter

In a similar vein, Ross Barkley’s future at the club looks fairly uncertain. The England attacking midfielder has failed to travel to Tanzania for the club’s pre-season tour due to a groin injury. However, the more cynical followers of the footballing world will argue that the midfielder’s failure to sign a new deal, along with his strained relationship with Everton boss Ronald Koeman, is a more legitimate reason for the player not travelling. With many clubs reportedly chasing his signature, reports claim that Everton will be demanding around £50m for the Liverpool-born midfielder.

Whilst the club’s summer spending is currently nearing the £100m mark, they are arguably only shelling out money that they were almost certainly guaranteed to acquire with the sale of Lukaku alone. It’s also fair to say that the club have spent a large amount of money on proven Premier League quality, the importance of which cannot be understated. According to the current Premier League betting, most firms seem to agree that the Toffees look well equipped for the forthcoming season, with the side a fairly modest 10/1 to finish inside the top four.

The Toffees have brought in Jordan Pickford from Sunderland and the North-East born shot-stopper looks set to take the number one jersey from Joel Robles. Pickford has had an extremely impressive season despite playing in a recently relegated team and his performances have seen him receive a well-earned call-up to the senior England international team for their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.

By the same token, the club have moved quickly to find England centre-back Phil Jagielka a credible defensive partner, signing Burnley defender Michael Keane in a deal that is reportedly worth around £25m, with a potential £6m going the Clarets’ way in bonuses. After an impressive season with Burnley, the Stockport-born centre-back was the best aerially performing defender in the Premier League, winning an average of 4.3 aerials duels per game.

Source: Everton Blue Army via Twitter

Whilst it’s hard to predict the success of the signings of Davy Klaasen from Ajax and Sandro Ramirez from Malaga, the pair have cost Everton a pittance in modern footballing terms, signing for £22.95m and £5.10m, respectively. If Ross Barkley was to leave the Merseyside club, as seems widely anticipated, the Toffees would remain in the black for this summer’s transfer window, with a fair bit to show for it. With the club recently acquiring boyhood hero Wayne Rooney, few could argue with the business they’ve done so far.