Everton's £10m transfer deal the perfect example of academy success over 18 months

Everton’s most recent sale of Lewis Dobbin has proven that their academy business has been particularly strong across the last 18 months.

Dobbin’s reported £10m deal worked in conjuncture with Aston Villa midfielder Tim Iroegbunam heading in the other direction as both clubs worked around the PSR rules which have threatened to derail several club’s summer spending. A clever marriage of convenience has helped both seemingly alleviate the risk of any sanctions - something which Everton will be glad to avoid after two separate points deductions last season.

Sales were expected to come from their key assets this summer prior to recent positive takeover news, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana high-value targets for multiple clubs. However, with Dobbin’s sale, Everton have now earned up to £68m from academy sales across the past 18 months; a figure which greatly dwarves the £47m from 2004 to 2022.

Thomas Cannon departed last summer for Leicester after making just four appearances which earned the club £7.5m. Coventry also moved for striker Ellis Simms last summer, securing him in a deal costing £3.5million that could rise to £5m, depending on appearances and goals.

Their most lucrative deal was the sale of Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United in January 2023; he signed in a £40m deal which included add-ons that could see the deal rise to £45m in total. He has since realised his potential at the North East club and has become an England international and it shows that their academy has produced quality in recent times.

It gives hope for the future that they will be able to produce players that can bridge the gap into the first-team. Granted, it is certainly a difficult proposition, but these are examples that it can happen.

The positivity of those claims have been somewhat revised following the end-of-season releases of Mackenzie Hunt, Katia Kouyate (who scored in the pre-season win over Stade Nyonnais last summer), Kyle John, Ed Jones, Dylan Graham and Lewis Warrington, with the latter making his Premier League debut in the final home game of the season. His release ended his 15-year-spell at the club having joined as a schoolboy.

It is unclear whether any were at the level to come through and influence the first-team and Sean Dyche pulled no punches when reviewing the academy prospects in March: “There is no one I have seen so far who is ready to jump in there”, he claimed. While the well may be dry for now, it doesn’t take long for fresh players to develop and, going off recent successes, it may be sooner rather than later.