Everton scouts will have had their eyes on this summer’s World Cup – and we’ve already had links to several players at the tournament.
Toffees officials will have been working away on longer-term targets, but there are surely a few playing in North America who will have caught their eye.
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Keito Nakamura is the latest player to have emerged as an apparent target for Everton, and it remains to be seen if the Japan international will make a move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton are no strangers to targeting players who have represented their country at the World Cup, and with that in mind, we look back at the 14 players who were bought or loaned by Everton during the same summer window they played in the World Cup.
Alan Ball – 1966 (England)
After impressing for England in the Three Lions’ triumph at the 1966 World Cup, Everton signed Alan Ball, paying Blackpool £112,000.
This was a record transfer fee paid to an English club at the time, and Ball went on to star in his generation’s best Everton midfield trio alongside Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall.
Daniel Amokachi – 1994 (Nigeria)
Everton signed Daniel Amokachi from Belgian side Club Brugge in 1994, after he had played for Nigeria at the World Cup in the US.
He became a bit of cult hero at Goodison Park, with his antics during the 1995 FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur particularly memorable.
After an injury to teammate Paul Rideout, Amokachi took advantage of the confusion, checked in with the fourth official and ran onto the pitch. He effectively substituted himself on and manager Joe Royle was powerless to stop it, and Amokachi went on to score two goals, securing a 4-1 victory.
John Collins – 1998 (Scotland)
Everton signed John Collins for £2 million in 1998, with the midfielder going on to captain the club before submitting a transfer request in 2000.
He arrived at Goodison after playing for Scotland at the World Cup in France.
Joseph Yobo – 2002 (Nigeria)
Joseph Yobo was the very first signing David Moyes made at Everton back in 2002.
The central defender caught the eye after impressing with Nigeria at that summer’s World Cup, which was held in Japan and South Korea.
He signed on loan initially, with Everton turning the move permanent the following summer. He went on to make 259 appearances for the club. His partnership with Joleon Lescott was particularly successful.
Tim Howard – 2006 (USA)
Everton signed Tim Howard on loan from Manchester United just before the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Despite having the #1 jersey for the USMNT, he didn’t actually play a single minute while at the tournament.
Kasey Keller started all three group stage matches for them before their early elimination. Howard made an impressive start to his loan at Everton and actually had his move turned permanent in February 2007, and then spent 10 years at the club.
Jan Mucha – 2010 (Slovakia)
At the time of the next World Cup, Everton signed another goalkeeper.
Jan Mucha came in from Legia Warsaw, but this move was actually all organised before it happened.
The agreement happened in January 2010, with his contract expiring in the summer. Everton then got him on a free during the World Cup, while he was playing for Slovakia.
Romelu Lukaku – 2014 (Belgium)
Lukaku’s move to Everton was perhaps the biggest saga of the summer of 2014.
The striker had an amazing loan spell with Everton in the 2013/14 season and the Toffees were then able to sign the star permanently.
Realistically, Lukaku didn’t need to show Everton anything at the 2014 World Cup with Belgium, as the Toffees fully saw what he was capable of during his loan. That summer he signed for a then club-record £28 million.
Muhamed Besic – 2014 (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Everton picked up Muhamed Besic for about £4 million in the summer of 2014, with Roberto Martinez saying at the time (via Sky Sports): “What he did with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup, he showed that he is a really mature footballer, that he covers the ground really well, that he is very dynamic and technically very gifted.”
There were high hopes for Besic, but injuries ruined his time at Goodison, and he left in 2021 after making just 56 appearances.
Yerry Mina – 2018 (Colombia)
During the 2018 World Cup, Yerry Mina became one of the most sought-after players in football.
Putting in solid performances and scoring three headed goals, the defender was hot property, and it was Everton who won the race for the Colombia international, paying Barcelona just under £30 million.
Injuries rather spoiled his time at Goodison, but he was still a very popular player with the fans for how he always played with his heart on his sleeve.
He remains the last player Everton signed when a World Cup took place in the summer.
- Idrissa Gana Gueye was signed by Everton in September 2022, but that year’s World Cup was hosted by Qatar. The tournament had to commence in November, so due to the scheduling, Gueye’s signing cannot really be included.
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