Everton transfer concern clear as first Kevin Thelwell signing sets tone

The 31-year-old has now played every game for Everton in back-to-back seasons and was a part of the defence that finished the Premier League with 13 clean sheets, a record only surpassed by Arsenal, the runners-up. Furthermore, Tarkowski’s contribution to the growth of his center-back partner Jarrad Branthwaite—who has become a generational talent in recent months—should not be undervalued.

Conversely, Neal Maupay has to rank as Thelwell’s least successful acquisition to date. In three Premier League seasons with Brighton & Hove Albion, the Frenchman scored 10, 8, and 8 goals, but he has only scored once in 32 games for Everton.

That’s a truly dire statistic. The diminutive 5ft 8in frontman was anything but a like-for-like alternative to Dominic Calvert-Lewin so the Blues were unable to rely on him as an understudy for their number nine and neither the team nor the player himself benefitted tactically from the changes when he did come into the side.

At the moment, Maupay’s acquisition looks very much like £15million down the drain given that Brentford did not take up their initial option to turn his loan return to west London into a permanent move and he seems surplus to requirements at Goodison Park. Even if his goal return hadn’t been so poor, he seemed to burn his bridges with some unsupportive comments about the club’s loyal fanbase.

Joe Thomas – I remember the relief in Dwight McNeil’s voice

This summer has started well for Everton. I think the business to date has been savvy and the early work to consolidate last season’s squad and then take steps to improve it have been positive. The arrival of Iliman Ndiaye, on the cusp of being confirmed as the Blues’ third summer signing, is an astute one and I think he could help bolster Everton’s attacking threat next season while freeing up Abdoulaye Doucoure to provide another option in the deeper midfield positions.

In evaluating Thelwell’s past summer operations, it is difficult to disagree with Chris’ recommendations. One of my worries is that despite being brought in, Maupay and Arnaut Danjuma from the previous season didn’t seem to fit into the team’s larger goals. Under different circumstances, I believe both players may have contributed more to the team, but they both came across as misfits quite fast. However, Tarkowski has performed admirably, and a few others have also impressed. In my opinion, Dwight McNeil’s contract was the best one that Thelwell managed.. He had a tough start to his Blues career – I remember the relief in his voice when I spoke to him after his goal in the win at Southampton under Frank Lampard, it was clearly a cathartic moment after a tough introduction to life on Merseyside.Perhaps surprisingly, he took off under Dyche and played a key role in the team’s attempt to survive that season. At Brighton & Hove Albion, that hat-trick completed one of the best individual efforts by a Royal Blue player in recent memory. He was a solid, reliable option in a thin team the previous season, and his defensive performance was complemented by significant contributions, such as his vital goals against Nottingham Forest both at home and away and his thunderous first goal in the victory against Newcastle United.

On the other hand, I think Thelwell’s most difficult signing has been Ruben Vinagre. He appeared to offer a valuable option at full back when he arrived on loan from Sporting but even when Everton could have done with expertise in that position due to injuries, managers appeared reluctant to give him a go.

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