When it came to Everton’s attempt to finish first in the Premier League, Frank Lampard erred.

Over the years, Everton has lost out on several incredibly gifted players due to careless hiring or a lack of funding.

A major wasted opportunity was the failure to recognize the talent of Ernst Haaland, while David Moyes was disappointed by the inability to gather the cash for Eden Hazard.

The Toffees are a tragic example of what might have been; if they had been able to enjoy the elite exploits of either of these stars, they most definitely would not be where they are today.

Nevertheless, one could even argue that their greatest mistake to date was their desperate, ultimately fruitless bid to capture Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Was Ollie Watkins on the verge of joining Everton?

2020 saw Villa Park transfer from Brentford, and the £28 million spent at the time was a significant investment for a player who, it must be said, had lit up the Championship.

It was a risk that was obviously anticipated to pay off in the end as a hardworking center striker possessing all the abilities necessary to succeed in the Premier League.

Well, Unai Emery’s career has taken off, reaching absurd heights since he joined.

Even more strangely, Football Insider reported in 2022 that “the Midlands giants are open to letting Watkins go as they work on a deal to recruit an A-list front man in the final weeks of the summer window.” There were links indicating that the Toffees would make a move for him.

There aren’t many forwards as good as Watkins these days, and if Frank Lampard had taken advantage of Steven Gerrard’s lackluster tenure in the Midlands, Everton would have been the ones enjoying these benefits.

How excellent is Ollie Watkins?

Although Watkins was always a highly regarded and strong striker in the Premier League, he has elevated his game since hiring Emery.

His abilities as a penalty-box striker have increased dramatically, but he still scores goals frequently without compromising the inventiveness and relentless work ethic that earned him such a high regard at Brentford.

His tremendous contribution in the league last season was demonstrated by his 15 goals and six assists; however, he is already on pace to surpass those totals this season with 11 goals and 12 assists in just 23 games.

His goal contribution rate is unmatched, and it appears that he may have surpassed the level of play that previously inspired Jamie Carragher to call him “unstoppable.”

It is noteworthy that Watkins is only now living up to the title of best league goal scorer, having provided more goals this season than Dominic Calvert-Lewin did in his previous three.

Injury has undoubtedly limited Sean Dyche’s primary striker, but even at full strength, his record of 16 Premier League goals in a season is likely to be eclipsed if Villa’s star player continues to perform well.

When Everton decided not to pay for this outstanding forward, they made a huge mistake.