Sport nationEverton Football Club are facing turbulent times both on and off the pitch. The Merseyside club narrowly avoided relegation last season and have been docked 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. Owner Farhad Moshiri has also put the club up for sale amid financial difficulties.
It’s a far cry from the optimism and ambition that surrounded Moshiri’s arrival in 2016, when he promised to return Everton to competing for top honors. Since then, the club has spent over £500 million on transfers with little to show for it in terms of progress.
One signing that encapsulates Everton’s scattergun and ultimately wasteful recruitment is that of French striker Neal Maupay. The 27-year-old arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion for £15 million in August 2022, seen as a replacement for the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
However, Maupay has struggled to make an impact at Goodison Park, scoring just once in 25 appearances. His style of play as a second striker hasn’t suited Everton’s system, especially under the more direct approach favored by current manager Sean Dyche. There is now an internal acceptance at the club that Maupay’s signing was an error and he is not a good fit[1].
Overseeing Everton’s transfer business since February 2022 has been Director of Football Kevin Thelwell. The 50-year-old arrived with a strong reputation, having previously worked as Head of Football Development and Recruitment at Wolves before a spell as Head of Sport with the New York Red Bulls in MLS[2].
Thelwell’s remit has been to support the first team while putting in place a long-term strategy to make Everton more competitive and financially sustainable. It’s been a hugely challenging task amid the club’s struggles on the pitch and financial constraints off it.
One of Thelwell’s first major decisions was to appoint Sean Dyche as manager in January 2023, with Everton deep in a relegation battle. Dyche’s experience and pragmatic approach were seen as vital to keeping the club in the Premier League[11].
At the same time, Thelwell has been working to streamline Everton’s bloated squad and wage bill, moving on high-earning fringe players. Last summer saw minimal investment, with Maupay the only significant purchase. In January, the focus was on loans and free transfers to plug gaps.
It’s been a case of firefighting for Thelwell so far as he tries to clean up the mess from years of directionless spending under Moshiri. Everton’s net spend of over £300 million since 2016 has left them with an unbalanced, underperforming squad on unsustainable wages[4].
The hope is that Dyche can continue to get results on the pitch in the short-term to keep Everton in the top flight. Longer-term, Thelwell has spoken about wanting to implement a joined-up football strategy, focusing on developing young talent and making savvier signings[18].
It will take time and there are likely to be more difficult moments ahead for Everton. The failed Maupay transfer is a symbol of past mistakes the club is still paying for. But in Thelwell, Everton at least seem to finally have someone in charge of football operations with a clear vision for the future.
The road back to the top will be long for a club of Everton’s stature and history. Thelwell has a huge job on his hands to turn around years of decline and mismanagement. But there are the first tentative signs of recovery as the Toffees look to build a brighter future.
Citations:
[1] https://www.everton.news/everton-believe-they-made-an-error-signing-27-year-old-hes-not-deemed-a-good-fit/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Thelwell
[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62695388
[4] https://theathletic.com/2804466/2021/09/02/everton-transfer-window-past-mistakes-caught-up-with-everton/
[5] https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kevin-thelwell-84a7723a
[6] https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2023/9/1/23855546/confirmed-everton-transfer-news-deadline-day-neal-maupay-loan-brentford
[7] https://www.everton.news/everton-have-made-a-big-30m-transfer-mistake-which-is-clearly-costing-them-dearly/
[8] https://www.transfermarkt.us/kevin-thelwell/profil/trainer/15909
[9] https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/transfer-news-deadline-day-latest-updates/Xx2FTZkPU2Lo/B9qNUwWf41QO/
[10] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessesilvertown/2023/11/22/the-financial-disputes-at-the-heart-of-evertons-record-penalty/?sh=58d2651d1d95
[11] https://theathletic.com/5332677/2024/03/13/everton-thelwell-recruitment-scouting-academy/
[12] https://www.givemesport.com/everton-neal-maupay-transfer-news-goodison-park-sean-dyche/
[13] https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/everton-transfers-rated-farhad-moshiri-29045816
[14] https://www.evertonfc.com/club/our-people
[15] https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/evertons-pound550m-mistake-how-have-the-toffees-spent-so-much
[16] https://trainingground.guru/articles/kevin-thelwell-building-something-to-believe-in-at-everton
[17] https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-transfer-window-inside-story-26124981
[18] https://www.evertonfc.com/news/3777179/encouraged-thelwell-outlines-long-term-everton-plan
[19] https://www.transfermarkt.us/fc-everton/alletransfers/verein/29
[20] https://www.toffeeweb.com/club/managers/Thelwell.php
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