90min

Everton's Best to Worst Midfield Signings in Recent Years - Ranked

By Lewis Pangratiou

Everton have spent a lot of money on midfielders in recent years- some good, some not so good.
Everton have spent a lot of money on midfielders in recent years- some good, some not so good. / Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images
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Everton are signing big names this window with the club's resurgence under veteran manager Carlo Ancelotti finally picking up the pace.

Napoli's Allan joined the club this week and is set to be joined by Colombian star James Rodriguez and proven Premier League midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure in the coming days.

Unfortunately, Toffees fans know that spending big money doesn't necessarily mean the club is heading in the right direction. The owners have spent an exuberant amount of cash in recent years and yet the club still seems to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of mediocrity.

Without further ado, let's tuck into Everton's best to worst central midfield signings over the last five years or so.

1. Idrissa Gueye

Gueye starred in Everton's midfield
Gueye starred in Everton's midfield / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Bought for: £7.65m

Sold for: £27m

Now a Ligue 1 champion and Champions League runner up with PSG, Gueye starred in his three years on Merseyside.

A bustling style of play meant he brought a new versatility and aggression to a weak midfield, while his dynamic athleticism helped him to develop a knack for interceptions.

Selling him did help Everton gain a healthy £20m profit, but they have missed his relentless energy and have looked uncompetitive without him.

2. Gylfi Sigurdsson

Sigurdsson is the only midfielder who has offered consistency over the last few years
Sigurdsson is the only midfielder who has offered consistency over the last few years / Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Bought for: £44.5m

Sold for: Still at the club

Despite having to to carry the heavy price tag burden on his shoulders, Sigurdsson has proven his worth at Everton, becoming the only real consistent figure in their midfield.

Known for his specialist set pieces and long range efforts, the Iceland international has helped provide plenty of memorable moments in an otherwise bleak period at Goodison. Because of this specialty, his vision and creativity has undeservedly gone under the radar.

He had a pretty terrible 2019/20 Premier League season, scoring just twice, but Everton fans will still hope Sigurdsson can play a pivotal role under Ancelotti going forward.

3. Andre Gomes

Gomes' 2019/20 season was disrupted by a major injury
Gomes' 2019/20 season was disrupted by a major injury / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Bought for: £22.5m

Sold for: Still at the club

Here's where everything starts to go downhill. That's not to say Gomes hasn't shown glimpses of what he can bring to Everton's midfield, but more an unfortunate reality that big money has been spent on inconsistency.

The midfielder did suffer a sad injury upset against Spurs last season but as a player who has played at some of the world's biggest clubs, he needs to add more goals and assists to his game.

Having said that, there is still time for Gomes to become a top player in blue.

4. Morgan Schneiderlin

Schneiderlin was incredibly incosistent at Goodison
Schneiderlin was incredibly incosistent at Goodison / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Bought for: £20.7m

Sold for: £2m

Schneiderlin struggled to adapt to life at Manchester United but his signature still seemed like a coup for Everton at the time.

Though he admittedly did get off to a good start at Goodison, eventually his wild inconsistency started to shine. Often weak on the ball, he failed to provide the level of control in midfield that was expected of him.

To top it off, the club ended up taking quite a hit on their investment when the Frenchman returned to France this summer.

5. Fabian Delph

Delph promised to bring some much needed experience but has since showed very little worth
Delph promised to bring some much needed experience but has since showed very little worth / Robin Jones/Getty Images

Bought for: £8.5m

Sold for: Still at the club

Delph joined after being a key part of Manchester City's title winning side. Yes, he often played at left-back under Pep Guardiola, but that experience and winning mentality should have helped to propel Everton up the table.

Instead, he has massively contributed to their stagnation. Delph epitomises most of Everton's modern signings: someone who was expected to do so much more.

Hopefully, he can find some of the form that helped him earn a title winning medal.

6. Davy Klaassen

Klassen had a very difficult time in England
Klassen had a very difficult time in England / James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images

Bought for: £24.3m

Sold for: £12m (somehow)

Undoubtedly, Klassen is the worst midfield signing Everton have made in recent years.

From captaining Ajax in the Europa League final to twice finding himself training with the youth team under big Sam Allardyce, Klaassen's decline is both sad and deserved. He couldn't adapt and, in truth, simply wasn't good enough to keep up with the pace and style of the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, Klaassen was sold for just £12m to Werder Bremen in 2018 as the club again lost money.