Everton’s Shrewd Business: Offloading “New Lukaku” for £12M Proves Wise

As Everton prepares for their final season at Goodison Park under David Moyes’ guidance, the club faces some tough decisions regarding player personnel. One such decision involves on-loan winger Jack Harrison, whose future remains uncertain.

Harrison, currently valued at £13M, has struggled to make a significant impact this season, scoring just one goal across all competitions. His loan spell from Leeds United is set to end, with reports suggesting he may return to Elland Road or potentially move to MLS.

However, Everton’s past transfer dealings show they’ve occasionally struck gold in offloading underperforming players. Case in point: Henry Onyekuru, once touted as the “next Romelu Lukaku.”

Signed for £7M in 2017, Onyekuru never made a single appearance for Everton due to work permit issues. Despite this, the club managed to sell him to AS Monaco for £12M in 2019, netting a tidy £5M profit.

This deal looks even more impressive in hindsight, as Onyekuru’s current market value has plummeted to just £3.3M – less than a quarter of Harrison’s valuation. The Nigerian forward, now playing in Saudi Arabia, serves as a reminder of Everton’s occasional transfer market acumen.

While Harrison’s future remains up in the air, Everton’s past success in recouping value for Onyekuru demonstrates the club’s ability to make shrewd financial decisions, even with players who fail to make an impact on the pitch.