Everton

Everton

Premier League • England

Top 10 most expensive Everton signings as Marco Silva transfer coup tops list

Richarlison, Jordan Pickford and Romelu Lukaku

Everton have made some big-money transfers in recent years

Everton have had to operate on a tight transfer budget in recent years following their reckless spending under previous owner Farhad Moshiri.

The Toffees – who are now owned by the Friedkin Group – signed almost 70 players during his tenure, spending over £670million in the process.

We’ve taken a look at the 10 most expensive signings in Everton’s history and how those players subsequently fared after completing the move.

Note: We’ve taken into account any potential add-ons and bonuses when ranking the fees.

10. Cenk Tosun – £27m

After taking over at Everton in November 2017, Sam Allardyce sanctioned a £27million move for Tosun in his first transfer window.

“We looked at the qualities of the player, his talent and goal scoring, and his resilience, too,” Allardyce said. “I do not think you can look any more than we have done and, for the price, he is the best in Europe at the moment.”

The Turkey international failed to live up to those expectations at Goodison Park, scoring just 11 goals in 61 appearances in all competitions.

He had loan spells at Crystal Palace and Besiktas before rejoining the former on a free transfer at the end of the 2021/22 season.

9. Moise Kean – £27.5m

Despite only making 21 first-team appearances for Juventus, Kean was signed by Everton in 2019 in a deal worth an initial £25.1million and another £2.4million in add-ons.

The then-19-year-old arrived at Goodison Park with a reputation as one of the most exciting young talents in European football.

But he scored just four goals in 39 appearances for the club and famously suffered the ignominy of being substituted off just 18 minutes after being subbed on in a game against Manchester United.

Despite his struggles in England, Everton still managed to recoup all of their money by selling the striker back to Juventus in 2023.

8. Romelu Lukaku – £28m

The one signing on this list that predates Moshiri, Lukaku spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Everton and they spent £28million to turn the move into a permanent deal.

The Belgium international netted 71 goals in 133 appearances over the following three seasons, taking his overall tally to 87 goals for the club.

His performances in the 2016/17 campaign saw him win the Everton Player of the Year award and a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

The Toffees then made a huge profit on the striker by selling him to Manchester United in a deal worth an initial £75million and another £15million in potential add-ons.

7. Yerry Mina – £28.53m

Everton launched a triple raid on Barcelona in the summer of 2018, signing Mina, Lucas Digne and Andre Gomes from the Spanish side.

Mina was the most expensive deal, with the centre-back costing an initial £27.19million and another £1.34million in potential add-ons.

Alongside the transfer fee, Everton also made him the highest-paid player at Goodison Park with a five-year contract worth £120,000-per-week.

The Colombia international impressed when fit, but his time on Merseyside was often plagued by injury problems and he left on a free transfer in 2023.

6= Jordan Pickford – £30m

In the summer of 2017, Everton launched the biggest spending spree in their history and forked out over £140million on new players.

Pickford was the first player through the door, arriving from Sunderland in a deal worth an initial £25million and another £5million in add-ons.

The England international has since made over 300 appearances for the club and has picked up their Player of the Season award a record-breaking four times.

“I’ve seen him now for three years and work with him on a daily basis and seen his quality, and I can genuinely say he’s world-class,” teammate Asmir Begovic said.

6= Michael Keane – £30m

Alongside Pickford, Keane also joined Everton in the summer of 2017 in a deal worth an initial £25million and another £5million in add-ons.

The centre-back has racked up over 200 appearances for the club but he’s struggled for consistency and is increasingly error-prone.

He has now entered the final few weeks of his contract at Goodison Park and TEAMtalk sources state that he is unlikely to be offered a contract extension.

4. Amadou Onana – £33m

Everton fought off competition from West Ham United to sign Onana from Lille in a £33million deal in the summer of 2022.

The Belgium international made 72 appearances for the club and established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

He left Goodison Park and completed a £50million move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2024, which helped Everton stave off any Financial Fair Play issues.

3. Alex Iwobi – £34m

After refusing to meet Crystal Palace’s £100million valuation of Wilfried Zaha in the summer of 2019, Everton switched their attention to Iwobi.

They had an initial bid of £30million turned down by Arsenal but their improved offer – an initial £28million, rising to £34million with potential add-ons – was accepted on deadline day.

He initially struggled to justify that price tag but adapted to a midfield role under Frank Lampard and won the Everton Players’ Player of the Year award in 2022/23.

Everton then sold the Nigeria international to Fulham for £22million in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer a year later.

2. Gylfi Sigurdsson – £45m

Everton identified Sigurdsson as an ideal replacement for Ross Barkley in the summer of 2017 after the England international refused to sign a contract extension.

Swansea City rejected two bids from the Merseyside outfit before accepting a third offer of £40million upfront and an additional £5million in bonuses.

The Iceland international failed to replicate his Swansea form in an Everton shirt, registering just 31 goals and 25 assists in 156 appearances in all competitions.

He was left out of their Premier League squad for the 2021/22 season and was released on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

1. Richarlison – £50m

Having worked with Richarlison at Watford, Marco Silva made the Brazil international his top transfer target after taking over at Everton in 2018.

The Toffees paid an initial £35million and another £15million in add-ons for the forward, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

He registered 53 goals and 15 assists in 152 appearances for the club and played an integral role in the club’s survival from the Premier League in 2021/22.

The 28-year-old was sold to Tottenham a few weeks later in a deal worth an initial £50million and another £10million in add-ons.

READ MORE: Stay or go? The 12 Everton stars who could leave assessed as Moyes mulls over fates

Everton Jordan Pickford Richarlison

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