Rafa Benitez’s spell at Everton was very short-lived.
From the get-go, Everton fans didn’t get on board with the appointment of Rafa Benitez due to his strong Liverpool connection.
It turned out to be a disastrous six-and-a-half months for the Spaniard, as he left the Toffees in a relegation battle.
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Thankfully, Frank Lampard managed to narrowly steer the club away from relegation, but the effects of Benitez’s reign are still felt to this day.
Here’s why.
- READ MORE: David Moyes’ transfer plan presents major risk, Everton chiefs must consider abandoning it
Rafa Benitez’s decision to sell Lucas Digne is still costing Everton
Benitez fell out with Lucas Digne during the 2021/22 season, so he decided to sanction his sale to Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
Digne, speaking back in 2022, reflected on that period: “The relationship we had was not good. It was complicated to be excluded from the group for a month.
“It was an unprecedented situation in my career. But I had my family and my teammates with me.”
Since then, the Frenchman has continued to be one of the best left-backs in the Premier League, helping Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
Digne has racked up an impressive 20 assists in 127 appearances; how Everton could’ve done with those numbers.
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Instead, the Toffees have Vitalii Mykolenko, who is widely considered a big weak point in Moyes’ side.
Mykolenko has been very error-prone this term, and he just doesn’t offer enough going forward.
The Ukraine international has registered just four assists for Everton, which is a far cry from Digne’s output.
If time could be rolled back, Everton probably wouldn’t have green-lighted Benitez’s decision to sell Digne.
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