Everton’s list of failed transfers is as long as anyone’s, having seen so many big deals fall through due to a lack of funds, alternative interest or simply turning down a future star.
Erling Haaland stands out above most other names, but even the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Eden Hazard must surely sting those behind the scenes given how that trio has each gone on to dominate the Premier League in their own right.
To think that the Toffees could have been treated to such talent is a painful thought, but one made worse when looking even more recently.
Although not quite on the scale of that aforementioned three, failing to capture Gabriel Magalhaes when it seemed a set-in-stone switch should remain one of the club’s most frustrating failures of late on the transfer front.
How close did Everton come to signing Gabriel Magalhaes?
Having gone on to shine for Arsenal instead, as a defensive pillar with which Mikel Arteta has laid the foundations for their progression, the 26-year-old has certainly taken to English football well.
It marks a frustrating turn of events, given one tweet that journalist Dominic King penned back in 2020: ‘Everton are confident they have done enough to win the race to sign Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille. Deal will cost more than £25m, a player they have been pursuing for some time’.
Clearly seduced by the bright lights of the capital, as well as a project far more thought out than Everton’s, the Brazilian would rather wisely choose the Gunners over Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Given how the two clubs have performed since then, it’s fair to say that this was a botched deal that has come back to bite them. Arteta would snag the LOSC Lille man for just £27m and has seen his value since rise to a figure of around €80m (£68m).
How good is Gabriel Magalhaes now?
Since that fateful day, when he opted for north London over Merseyside, the two clubs could not have enjoyed more differing trajectories.
With Ancelotti leaving that following summer, the Toffees then regressed into a cycle of terrible results under terrible managers. Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard both came and went, and only now Sean Dyche is in charge do they have some kind of stability.
Meanwhile, Gabriel featured 38 times last season for Arsenal as they pushed Manchester City all the way in the title race, with the centre-back ever-present again this campaign seeking to go one step further.
To emphasise his starring defensive assets, the colossus, who boasts a 7.23 average rating in the Premier League, has that figure buoyed by an 87% pass accuracy alongside 2.3 clearances and 3.8 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.
To make matters even more frustrating, he is actually the Premier League’s highest-scoring defender ever since he moved to the league. Meanwhile, Dyche cannot even get his strikers to score at present.
It is no surprise that he has been branded a ‘monster’ recently by journalist Jason Soutar, and why he is instead starring for a title-chasing outfit rather than relegation specialists.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
