Everton’s recent struggles haven’t all been on the pitch, despite their narrow escape from relegation last term and the fact they are languishing in the drop zone this season, but their wastefulness in the transfer window resulted in massive amounts of money being squandered.
Between 2018 and 2022, the Toffees splurged out £27.2m on Yerry Mina, £22m on Andre Gomes and £29m for Moise Kean, and the trio hardly impressed on Merseyside.
It was perhaps Sam Allardyce’s move for Arsenal forward Theo Walcott in January 2018 which drained the club the most, with his £20m switch promising so much, yet failing to deliver on the pitch despite the large outlay.
How much did Theo Walcott cost Everton?
Walcott’s time at Arsenal saw him score 108 goals in 397 appearances for the Gunners and when Allardyce brought him to the club, there were high hopes that he could enjoy a new lease of life away from north London.
His best campaign to date had been the 2012/2013 season, where the Englishman scored 14 Premier League goals and registered 12 assists, although prior to his January move to the Toffees, he had featured for just a grand total of 63 minutes in the league, which was perhaps the first hint that he may not live up to the expectations of a £20m player.
Former Gunners legend Lee Dixon had previously lavished praise on Walcott, suggesting he was “unplayable” back in 2016, yet his stint in the North West didn’t exactly go to plan with the winger instead proving to be “awful” – as eluded to by Phil McNulty.
In just over two and a half years, he managed to score only 11 goals and register nine assists in 85 appearances for the club, while also costing them a pretty penny in wages too – £110k-per-week to be precise.
Indeed, during his 141-week spell at Everton, the forward managed to rinse the club for a total of £43.4m (his £20m transfer fee combined with the £23.4m he earned in wages) and it’s no wonder the club are now finally paying for big money mistakes like this now.
Hopefully, Sean Dyche has a better understanding of what players would suit Everton and avoid paying inflated fees for underwhelming performers during his reign.
