Nothing quite personifies the emotional rollercoaster of being an Evertonian than inevitable disappointment on a transfer Deadline Day that caps off a quite fantastic summer of recruitment.
Everton signed a total of seven players over the course of the summer, and while many are expected to slot into gaps that have been in need of plugging, there are still some holes that have been left exposed, and only time will tell how costly those decisions will prove to be.
Despite the deluge of Everton departures this summer, none will be felt quite like that of Kurt Zouma, with the Frenchman’s impact over the course of the previous campaign sure to be felt more powerfully now without a successor. Andre Gomes was brought back on a permanent basis, but the failure to find an alternative to the Chelsea centre-half could well be Everton’s undoing this season.
That being said, Everton could well be fine. The Toffees finally have a degree of firepower and dynamism up front that could potentially see the club break through the glass ceiling that separates the top six from the rest of the division, although Wolves and Leicester will be vying for that single opportunity to crack the Big Six too.
It all comes down to how Marco Silva elects to wield the players at his disposal this season, and whether or not Marcel Brands and himself have operated correctly in their recruitment drive. Talent is only as good as you make it, and without the guidance of Silva this season that talent could amount to wasted potential and spurned opportunity.
Everton brought seven players to the club this summer: Andre Gomes, Jonas Lossl, Fabian Delph, Jean-Phillipe Gbamin, Moise Kean, Djibril Sidibe and Alex Iwobi.
Gomes was a necessary signing to make, but as easy as that is to say, it is a difficult task to make that situation become reality. Bringing the Portugal international back was important, and thankfully Everton got that business done early.
Delph and Gbamin are midfield recruits who are notably very different. The former is a two-time Premier League winning player, who will add a level of experience and leadership to the squad, while Gbamin is an unknown who will hopefully fills the vacant shoes of Idrissa Gueye without too much of an adjustment period.
Moise Kean is a signing that indicates a statement of intent from the Blues, however he is also someone who we won’t know too much about until we see him in the flesh. Although he is an exciting prospect, it remains to be seen how fast he can adapt to the rigours of the Premier League.
Djibril Sidibe will add much needed depth at right-back, while Jonas Lossl is a smart signing on a free transfer, adding more competition and experience to the goalkeeping position. Finally, despite being slightly divisive, Iwobi is expected to be a strong signing for Silva bringing in a player who matches what he is looking for in potential signings.
With just Idrissa Gueye, Nikola Vlasic and Ademola Lookman the notable departures, while Phil Jagielka also ended his Everton tenure on a free, Everton brought in much more that they lost, which would indicate a stronger squad than the one that finished last season.
However it remains to be seen whether failure to sign a centre-back will be costly in the long-run. To suggest the transfer window has been a failure is unwise, but I am apprehensive about how we’ll manage if injuries strike.
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