Everton Are Back 2 – Why Everton’s Summer Business Finally puts them on the Road to the Top 6

This time last year, The Street End Started with its’ first article. ‘Everton Are Back?’ looked at the signings that Everton had made before the start of the season. It turns out that we weren’t back at all! One year after that debacle, Marcel Brands has completed his first Everton transfer window. To celebrate the first anniversary of The Street End, here’s our look at the deadline signings, starting with Yerry Mina.

Yerry Mina

Yerry Mina’s name has been on everyone’s lips since his equaliser against England in the World Cup. The Columbian colossus has been linked with Everton since the tournament and his signing is a coup for Everton. Marcel Brands made Mina his number 1 target and worked right until the deadline to finalise the protracted signing. Whilst other players were mentioned as fall backs, Brands didn’t waver in his determination to get his man. So how does this signing affect Everton’s future?

First of all, Yerry Mina fills Everton’s biggest need at centre back. He is tall, strong and quick and can also play the ball out from the back. With Phil Jagielka and Michael Keane struggling, Mina helps Marco Silva play further up the pitch, his preferred formation. Everton’s starting centre backs have been caught for pace a few times this summer. Mina’s physical profile is exactly what Everton need this summer.

In addition to Mina’s physical profile, his profile in world football is just as important. In the past, Everton would have been priced out of moves when champion’s league clubs came in for players. On deadline day, Everton beat out Manchester United and Olympique Lyonnaise for Mina’s signature. Both of these clubs are in the Champions League group stages this season and wanted the player for their starting team.

Mina was that highly rated that Barcelona themselves have put in a buy back clause of £54 million pounds. They clearly still believe in Mina’s potential. Our new CEO, Denise Barrett Baxendale told the Telegraph, “We are in a sport that is about winning, about success. You have to lead with that.” Yerry Mina’s signing is a clear statement of intent that Everton want to win silverware.

Bernard

Bernard’s signature seemed to come out of the blue for Everton. He had been linked with Chelsea and AC Milan until a week ago. Out of the blue, Marcel Brands arranged the deal quickly to again beat off high profile opposition. Bernard is a player of considerable pedigree. The diminutive Brazilian has just completed a stellar spell at Shaktar Donetsk scoring 14 goals in 96 games. He has 14 caps for his country and was Neymar’s replacement in the 2014 World Cup. He impressed against Manchester City last season in the Champion’s League, scoring a beautiful goal into the top corner of the City goal.

Unlike Rooney’s signing last season, Everton are getting Bernard just short of his 26^th birthday. In other words, they are getting a top class player in the prime of his career. He has signed a 4 year deal which means that he has one bigger contract to earn before he turns 30. Everton have not been able to attract players of this quality at this age for some time. They are also signing a motivated player who wants to win things. Bernard told the clubs website, “This is an ambitious club which is aiming to achieve real success with Marco Silva’s ideas and the new players coming in.”

Andre Gomes

André Gomes is the type of signing that harks back to the days of former manager David Moyes. The Portugal international was yet another product of Benfica’s academy but has lost his way in recent seasons. Much like Steven Pienaar at Dortmund, the coach who brought him in left and he wasn’t in the new coaches plans. His playing style is very similar to Mikel Arteta’s. He has a good passing range and likes to link up play from midfield. This is an area that Everton have been lacking as neither Idrissa Gueye nor Tom Davies can link up play consistently at this time.

Once again, Brands has looked for a player with motivating factors. Gomes was one of Europe’s hottest prospects a few seasons back. Now at 25, he is having to re-establish himself again. He missed out on Portugal’s world cup campaign this season. Gomes will be 27 at the next European Championship so this season is pivotal to his international prospects. He has 2 years left on his contract with Barcelona and will likely be sold next summer. His career is at a crossroads. Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta arrived in similar circumstances. They made a success of their careers. Royston Drenthe also came to Everton with a similar profile. Everton were his last big club. Much like Arteta and Pienaar, Gomes hopes to rebuild his career at Everton.

Kurt Zouma

Kurt Zouma was the last of Everton’s deadline day transfers and is potentially the icing on the cake. Zouma was a highly rated prospect who suffered an ACL injury for in 2016. After his recovery, he signed on loan for Stoke. Unfortunately, his presence was not enough to keep Stoke up. Their squad, marred by infighting, was relegated to the championship in May.

Zouma is another player who has a reason to want to play well for Everton. 2 seasons ago, he had secured his place in the Chelsea line up. He now has a new manager to impress (as is usual at Chelsea) and is currently 5^th choice centre back there. He was also on standby for France’s world cup winning squad. Seeing his compatriots win the trophy will have been a blow to the 23 year old. He had made 2 appearances for France before his injury and was expected to be challenging for a place in the team by this age. Instead, he has suffered relegation and injury. Like André Gomes, Zouma is at a career crossroads.

At his best, Zouma was a strong and dominant defender. At 6 foot 3, he is a good height for a centre back Zouma reads the game well for a man of such tender years and has learned from John Terry. Unfortunately, the injury and move to Stoke has derailed his career somewhat. At Everton, he will be battling Yerry Mina, Michael Keane, Phil Jagielka and Mason Holgate for the centre half berth. Each of those players has something to prove. That competition could be make or break for Zouma. Brands is showing a David Moyes like eye for a bargain.

Brands Plan

In summation, the first stage of Brands plan has gone as well as can be expected. The Dutchman was appointed at the worst possible time. He had to contend with a short transfer window in a world cup season. He also had a bloated squad of 38 players of varying experience with only 3 competitions to play in this season. His task was to assess his squad, reduce the squad size and bring in quality. So how did he do?

Quite well in the short term. He has brought in players who can help Silva play in the style he wants. They are all players of pedigree and can help Everton challenge for Europe this season. Unfortunately, the loan players (and Mina) may not be long term answers for Everton. Neither Zouma nor Gomes have loan to buy clauses. Barcelona has the buy back clause with Yerry Mina, just like the clause they had with Deulofeu. Brands will have to prepare for this and have targets identified for the future.

Brands has navigated a tricky window and bought himself time. He will use the time to implement the scouting structure that he desires at Everton. Brands will also work with Marco Silva to reassess the players they have at the club. All of the players have now have competition in their positions. If they lose their competitions, it is likely they will leave the club in future. Brands also has until January to identify long term targets for Everton’s positions of need. He also has until the end of the month to move on players to Europe or on loan to EFL sides.

Drive

There are risks with these signings. A friend of mine pointed out that the ex Barca players may feel that they had reached the pinnacle of football and have nothing to play for. Whilst we have identified possible motivating factors in these articles, they rely on professionalism and drive. Some of the players at Everton last season appeared not to care when we lost. It is easy when you are on a large contract to shrug your shoulders and go back to your million pound gated house. The players who we have brought in could go one way or another due to their wages.

The Brands plan will rely on these players to be professional and driven by winning. He will have to ensure that the club has the mechanisms to support players as they settle into life in Merseyside. Marco Silva will have to integrate them into the team and establish a team culture.

Everton Are Back?

 

Not by a long shot. There is a long way to go and may be bumps on the way. We will need to be patient. Marcel Brands however, has put his best foot forward on the road to returning Everton to glory.

What do you think f the deadline day signings? Are you willing to give Everton time to get it right? Let us know in the comments section below: