Everton got it all wrong when they failed to sign £75m ‘Rolls-Royce’ under Martinez

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Everton have endured some high-profile transfer blunders over their illustrious history, with recent decades arguably throwing up more than most.

The likes of Eden Hazard, Erling Haaland and even Mohammed Kudus have all come to close to a Goodison Park switch, yet opted for alternative moves to further their careers.

David Moyes, or many other managers, could have inherited an incredible squad had some of these protracted transfers gone through.

But who was the biggest near-miss ever for the club? Well, it might just be Virgil van Dijk.

Did Everton nearly sign Virgil van Dijk?

Now known as a Liverpool legend and one of the best to ever feature in his position, even the Toffees would begrudgingly admit just how impressive the Dutch international has been for the Reds.

However, it could have been so different had he opted for royal blue back when he was at Celtic, with Roberto Martinez pencilling his name down.

The titanic defender had been impressing in Scotland, and with John Stones earning interest from Chelsea, it was a deal that would have made perfect sense.

‘I’m aware of the interest of a few clubs and Everton is one of them,’ he told reporters in his home town at the time.

But in the end, they opted against bringing him in for just £10m. Instead, Ramiro Funes Mori came for a similar figure of £9.5m…

Is Virgil van Djik better than Jarrad Branthwaite?

Given one is at the twilight of his career, and another is just starting his, it would be harsh to compare the respective legacies of the two stars.

Although, Van Dijk admittedly has been outstanding today, and there are plenty of similarities between his play style and Jarrad Branthwaite’s.

After all, whilst he has been lambasted for his laissez-faire defending style, it has been mightily effective over the years.

Having first started to gain widespread knowledge with Celtic, before transferring his talents to Southampton, with Liverpool where the footballing world has seen the best of the 31-year-old.

His introduction provided the final piece of Jurgen Klopp’s puzzle, and following his £75m signing they won the Premier League and Champions League before claiming an FA Cup and EFL Cup in the same campaign.

This term, his 7.44 average rating is actually the second-highest of any defender in the entire Premier League, as he blends solidity with an unparalleled ability on the ball.

It is that confidence in possession that perhaps sets him apart from Everton’s 21-year-old star, as his 79% pass accuracy pails in comparison to the 91% of Van Djik’s.

The ageing ace does also boast a 78% duel success rate, narrowly beating out Branthwaite’s 67% too, and earning the title of a ‘Rolls-Royce‘ from James Milner.

Whilst for now there is a gulf between the two, should the Englishman maintain his trajectory, he could help Everton easily forget that they could have captured the former Premier League Player of the Season.