How Everton got the better of their £9m deal with Aston Villa after loan move struggles

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A deal done to comply with PSR in the summer looks to have been more successful for Everton than Villa.

The summer deal which saw Tim Iroegbunam arrive at Everton and Lewis Dobbin depart for Aston Villa looks to be a positive one after the winger’s issues on loan at West Brom.

It was a deal born out of convenience in the summer as clubs scrambled to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules before the deadline, which coincided with the early part of the summer transfer window. According to the Athletic, of the 16 players sold (or in the process of being sold) by Premier League clubs in the opening few weeks of the transfer window, 10 were aged 22 or under.

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And one of those deals was Iroegbunam arriving for £9m while Dobbin, an academy graduate, went in the opposite direction as he secured a £10m move. He featured just 20 times for the club while the ex-Villa midfielder managed a game less for Villa. However, since the deal was done, both have experienced contrasting fortunes.

For Dobbin, he was shipped out on loan to West Brom, who are flying high in the Championship. And yet, he has struggled to make any sort of impact - playing just 166 minutes across 10 appearances. Whereas Iroegbunam started Everton’s first four games of the season and was hailed for his confidence and ability to step up to this level. Unfortunately, his sharp ascent has been halted by an injury which is set to keep him out until after the next international break.

In terms of his figures, he has managed more tackles, more recoveries, more clearances per game and more ground duels and total duels won than the rest of the Everton midfield contingent, including Idrissa Gueye, Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

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At 21, Iroegbunam represents a signing for the future and one that was sorely needed given the squad was beginning to collect some aging players. The likes of Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young at 36 and 39 respectively are most likely in their final season, while Idrissa Gueye (35) and Abdoulaye Doucoure (31) are both in the final year of their deals.

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He could well be a player that grows into this side with his vast potential that was spotted by Villa boss Unai Emery, who opted to keep him in the first-team squad in the second half of last season rather than allowing to leave on loan. With criticism pointed at Everton for their transfer business, this was one deal they should be commended for - as they secured a talent for the present and future, offset PSR concerns and earned a healthy profit on a player who was not fated to break into their squad.

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