Transfer market's harsh reality brutally clear to Everton after £45m worth of ex-targets impress

Everton’s transfer scouting has certainly improved this summer as we saw multiple former targets impress on the opening weekend of the Premier League.

While their completed business has been praised, the “ones who got away” show that they have been focusing on the right players - something which hasn’t been the case across the past eight or so years. Given the financial firepower of England’s top-flight, signing a player is now a far more difficult task. Every club has a similar way of scouting players and most possess strong financial backing which makes every deal a battle.

They were directly faced at Goodison Park by Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, the former Newcastle United attacker whom Everton had registered a concrete interest in before he signed for £30m. His pace, power and quick feet were impressive and apparent during the 3-0 defeat, as he showcased his quality to beat Vitalyi Mykolenko and set up the opener for Karou Mitoma; he’s exactly the type of player they’ve lacked for years.

Another player who impressed was Jacob Greaves at Ipswich Town. Tasked with facing one of the best attacks in the league in their opening game against Liverpool, the former Hull City defender showed that he belongs at this level with several eye-catching tackles as well as his ability to cause chaos from corners.

Everton had eyed him as a potential replacement for Jarrad Branthwaite and he was secured for a fee around £15m (plus £3m in add-ons) making him cheaper than the signing of Jake O’Brien. Ipswich also beat them to the signing of Kalvin Phillips and agreed a deal for Napoli midfield Jean Cajuste - both of whom Everton had tracked for a while.

Former player Amadou Onana also shone in a 2-1 away win for Aston Villa over West Ham United, netting an early goal and playing the full 90 as one of the best players on the pitch. Everton’s scouting and talent identification has been far improved but it is certainly one thing finding a player and another thing entirely to complete a deal. A task that is made even more difficult given their financial situation and ongoing takeover uncertainty.

Summer signing Tim Iroegbunam looks to be a shrewd signing at just £9m; he was arguably Everton’s best player in the first half and looks to possess a very high ceiling when it comes to his potential. With less than two weeks to go in the transfer window, Everton will hope to address one or two more positional issues and should back their current scouting system - but whether they can afford to sign players, convince them or beat other clubs to the punch remains to be seen as that has been the story of the summer so far.