Amongst all the disappointment of not signing Andriy Yarmolenko and the joy of holding on to John Stones, the signing of Gerard Deulofeu slipped under the radar somewhat.
If he is such a talented footballer, then why is that? The truth is that the signing of Deulofeu signals something greater than just the acquisition of a skillful winger. Firstly, Deulofeu was first introduced to Evertonians two seasons ago when Roberto Martinez took over from David Moyes. In that transfer window, we brought in some amazing talent with the likes of Lukaku, Barry and McCarthy amongst others in various loan/permanent deals, however the signing of Deulofeu was something different.
For years we have been used to having our attack filled with the likes of Victor Anichebe and Steven Naismith,even Marouane Fellaini had a stint at centre-forward for us. As great as those players are, none of them gave Evertonians the excitement that our beloved Gerry did whenever he was in possession of the ball or whenever he did his trademark celebration.
The initial loan signing of Deulofeu signalled to Evertonians the new era that they were about to experience under Roberto Martinez. His Catalan connections certainly helped with negotiations but Evertonians never thought the day would come when a young prodigy from FC Barcelona’s highly esteemed academy La Masia would grace their beloved Goodison Park week in week out, even just for one year on loan.
Gerry didn’t have the most spectacular debut season during his loan spell. He was good but he certainly did not perform to his potential. However, his performances were almost irrelevant at the time because his presence at Everton meant so much more. The blue side of Liverpool fell in love with him, even after he left, Everton fans hoped he would crack the first team at Barcelona and be successful, however he ended up being loaned out to fellow La Liga side Sevilla.
Fast forward a year and very early on in the transfer window Everton are linked with the permanent signing of Gerard Deulofeu and within days, the deal is wrapped up. He is a talent that needs to be nurtured and with the right tutelage could be essential to Everton being successful in the future with fellow youngsters Lukaku, Barkley, Stones and McCarthy. But having Deulofeu as an Everton player is something that should not be underestimated. It is a sign that we look to be serious contenders in the Premier League and eventually Europe.
