Everton flop has become their biggest downgrade since Lukaku to Tosun

Everton thought they had it all under control.

Technical director Angus Kinnear was determined not to blow caution to the wind. He clearly understood the workings of the transfer market, that around 70% of summer business is conducted across the last two to three weeks, but this mattered not as David Moyes‘ project got cast into purgatory.

So many things went wrong, but Toffees supporters are particularly dismayed to have sold Beto and Iliman Ndiaye and failed to sign a spate of striker targets late on: Richarlison and Folarin Balogun and Joshua Zirkzee.

Fans aren’t asking for prime Romelu Lukaku; just something. Of course, a Lukaku-esque option at No. 9 would be nice.

What made Lukaku so special

Lukaku has had something of a journeyman career, playing for any number of sides across England and Italy.

Hailed as “one of the best strikers in the world” by Ronald Koeman for his time spent at Goodison Park, the Belgium international has never devoted more time to an outfit than at Everton, where he established himself as one of the Premier League‘s most prolific goalscorers.

Not only lethal in front of goal, Lukaku played his striker’s role flawlessly across a four-year stint, so intelligent with his movement and skilled when taking deft touches and linking up with teammates such as Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu.

His strength should go without saying. But all this came together to see Lukaku, now 33 and playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey, score 68 league goals for the Merseysiders, a record still unbroken.

He would eventually leave for Manchester United in a £75m deal, never recapturing the same form in English football. Alas, Evertonians were treated, even if Cenk Tosun was brought in soon after. The Turkish star was dreadful for the club, scoring nine Premier League goals across 50 games.

It was quite the downgrade, but Kinnear and co look like they might have just repeated it.

Everton man is the biggest downgrade since Lukaku to Tosun

It’s fair to say Everton have got a lot wrong in the transfer market over the past decade, with frustrating downgrades characterising much of the Farhad Moshiri era.

Though Moyes’ defiant squad have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the Premier League season, there’s no question they lack a bit of oomph in attack, and the £65m sale of Ndiaye to Manchester City has played into that.

Ndiaye is a special footballer, a maverick with flicks and tricks to excite supporters. He is also direct when collecting the ball, not just a showman, but a player who has the ability to make things happen each and every game.

It is frustrating, then, that the Senegalese winger has been sold, and Brennan Johnson has taken his place on the right flank. Johnson joined Everton this summer in a deal worth about £22m – though in actuality, it was a straight swap, with Dwight McNeil taking the Welshman’s place at Selhurst Park.

Johnson had joined Crystal Palace from Tottenham Hotspur for £35m in January, but after struggles with Spurs, he only fell deeper into a hole in south London, failing to score across 26 outings.

Moyes has started him three times in the league so far, but this is primarily born from necessity. And moreover, Tyler Dibling is finally starting to look like a real talent after arriving from Southampton one year back, and the young attacker’s rise could demote Johnson, 25, to a bit-part position.

As with Lukaku’s sale to Old Trafford, Everton have sold their star man and turned a hefty profit. But Tosun failed to live up to the billing, and it looks like the same could be said for Johnson, who pales in comparison to Ndiaye.

Ndiaye is an artful dribbler and combative dueller. Last term in the Premier League, he won six duels and completed 2.3 dribbles per game. For Everton this season, Johnson has only completed one dribble across five matches, averaging two duels each game.

REUTERS/Ian Hodgson

It’s safe to say that Kinnear should hang his head after such a dismal transfer window. There is no reasonable way to justify such a brutal failure after Moyes and his side showed such promise last season, finished begging for a bit more quality to mount a real challenge for Europe.

Having sold Ndiaye and replaced him with Johnson, it’s going to take a Herculean effort for the Toffees to go beyond their limits from the 2025/26 campaign.