Everton have made some truly poor signings in recent years, particularly since Farhad Moshiri took over the club.
His desperation to turn his new club into a new superpower devolved into abject failure, as he willingly gifted his vast fortune to those unqualified or incapable of succeeding in the market.
As such, Friday marked the culmination of years of failure, having been deducted ten points for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Whilst the bulk of that did come from stadium costs, their consistent misfortune with player acquisition certainly did not aid their case. However, under Kevin Thelwell, they had seemed to turn a new leaf.
The deal-making has been refreshing and innovative, seeking to defer payments whilst improving the squad now.
However, with Neal Maupay, he got it so terribly wrong.
The Frenchman failed to make an impact following his £15m move from Brighton and Hove Albion, and now, since moving on loan to Brentford, it seems the misfiring forward has forgotten that he must return to Goodison Park after this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 27-year-old recently noted: ‘As a striker, you need confidence, you need to score goals and I didn’t. I scored in my second game at Goodison and I thought it could be a good season, but for multiple reasons, it didn’t work out. I didn’t play much, but when I was on the pitch, I wasn’t the best version of myself. I didn’t find my best form.
‘I’m always honest and tell the truth; last season, I didn’t enjoy myself. I didn’t enjoy my football and life up there was tough. The people around the club, the fans, made my life really difficult.’
How bad was Neal Maupay for Everton?
For the kind of football synonymous with the Toffees, the acquisition of the striker was always bound to be a foolish one, given he severely lacked any kind of physical presence.
For a side so used to starring with Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top, to downgrade to the diminutive dud was to sacrifice a key outlet. Things were made far worse given the injury problems plaguing the 26-year-old, which forced Maupay into the starting line-up.
Whilst his confidence may have been low, and the environment far from ideal, those are often the conditions where the top players stand up. He could have easily made himself an Everton hero with some hard work and admittedly simple finishes.
After all, he would finish the year with just one goal in the Premier League despite amassing an expected goals tally of 4.80.
It is hardly like things are much better at the Gtech Community Stadium either, given Maupay was told to ‘retire’ by pundit Chris Sutton for his glaring miss the other week.
Truly one of their poorer acquisitions in recent years, it seems almost certain that upon the expiry of his loan, he will be shipped out permanently.
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