Everton: Koeman’s £10.6m sale is now outshining Dwight McNeil

To say Everton have had a difficult few years would be an understatement, with the Blues languishing around the bottom of the Premier League league for the previous two seasons.

Rafael Benitez, Duncan Ferguson, Frank Lampard, and Sean Dyche have all taken leadership of the squad at Goodison Park during these trying times.

It hasn’t gone as planned for those who sought change, with Dyche still struggling to reestablish Everton as a prestigious Premier League team.

The club’s size and prestige in English football are undeniable, having not been demoted since 1950/51 and being named champions of England nine times in their illustrious history.

Their present form, however, is inconsistent with the club’s acknowledged size, with back-to-back relegation battles in both the 2022/23 season and the season before.

In both years, the Blues’ destiny was sealed on the last day, bringing both last-gasp elation and a level of anguish that evokes nostalgia for the highs that Everton experienced during the Premier League era.

So much talent has been seen at Goodison Park in the past and present, with one name in particular – Gerard Deulofeu – constantly invoked in debates about what might have been.

How much did Everton pay for Gerard Deulofeu?
When Gerard Deulofeu joined Liverpool on a loan agreement from Barcelona in 2013, few could have predicted the memories and quality that the then 19-year-old would bring to the club.

Former manager Roberto Martinez referred to him as a “real diamond” at the time.

The kid spent the 2013/14 season in England before returning to Barcelona, where he was loaned to Sevilla again.

Deulofeu returned to his original club from Goodison Park a year later, but this time on a permanent deal worth £4.2 million with a three-year contract.

After made quite an impression as a child during his initial stay at the club, the youngster was greeted with warm arms upon his return to Merseyside.

Deulofeu scored how many goals for Everton?
In his first Premier League season in 2013/14, the Spaniard dazzled with three goals and four assists in 25 league games, cementing himself as a fan favorite at Goodison Park.

Usual

Deployed on the wing, the Barcelona youth star showed excellent skill and finesse to the benefit of those around him, attributes that made him a likeable character on Merseyside.

In 75 documented appearances in all competitions for Everton over three seasons, the versatile attacker had a hand in 27 goals, scoring eight and assisting 19.

The issue for the winger arose when the manager who saw his talent left, as Martinez was fired from his position at Goodison Park and was later replaced by Ronald Koeman.

What became of Gerard Deulofeu?
It would be fair to argue that Koeman and Deulofeu did not always agree on everything.

Deulofeu described his departure from Goodison as “difficult,” with a noticeable lack of communication to explain why he had fallen out of favor.

Fortunately for the Spaniard, AC Milan was waiting in the wings to sign the youngster on loan, adding to his perplexity about the enormity of the Italian club and their willingness to sign the player.

In the 2016/17 season, the winger made 17 appearances in Serie A for Milan, scoring four goals and assisting three more, clearing the door for his boyhood club to activate their buy-back clause and permanently remove him from Merseyside.

Barcelona paid £10.6 million to bring their academy product back to Catalonia, but his stay was brief, as he returned to England the next year.

Watford was the forward’s next, and currently final, stop in England, where he thrived in 65 Premier League appearances in black and yellow, scoring 15 and assisting 11 to show the Evertonians what they were missing.

Where is Gerard Deulofeu now?

After recovering from an ACL injury sustained in 2020, the Spaniard endeavoured on a loan spell back in Serie A, this time representing Udinese.

The former Blues star made his move to Italy permanent in January 2021, and has since flourished after suffering a career setback as punishing as an ACL blow, scoring 16 Serie A goals so far since his arrival.

Surprisingly, his six assists last season were tied for fourth in the league and equaled Ademola Lookman’s total. It would also have been enough to place him second in the Everton squad, trailing just Alex Iwobi with seven goals and ahead of the inventive Dwight McNeil.

Described as “incredible” by scout Antonio Mango throughout his time with Udinese thus far, Deulofeu can look back on his time in England with a grin on his face, having had a huge impression on both Everton and Watford during his career.

That so, given the Blues’ recent troubles and missteps, there’s an underlying feeling of wonder about what the Spaniard could have brought to the club if Koeman had preferred his presence on the wing.

In an interview with the Liverpool Echo, Deulofeu stated that “Everton is in my heart,” referring to his great memories of his time at Goodison Park during his two spells there.

Arriving in the form of a Toffee

Deulofeu can look back on his time in England with a grin on his face, having made a huge impact on both Everton and Watford during his career, having been praised as “incredible” by scout Antonio Mango during his time thus far with Udinese.

That so, given the Blues’ problems and missteps in recent years, there’s an underlying feeling of wonder about what the Spaniard could have brought to the club if Koeman had preferred his presence on the wing.

Deulofeu told the Liverpool Echo that despite the conclusion of his voyage on Merseyside, “Everton is in my heart,” referring to his great memories of his time at Goodison Park during his two seasons there.

Arriving as a Toffee