Everton have found themselves in more than one tricky situation over the past few years and it's all stemmed from Farhad Moshiri's mismanagement of the club and their finances.
The Toffees have been docked points due to PSR woes, and they only have themselves to blame. They've spent lavishly in the past decade which has seen countless players arrive for big fees and on huge salaries, before only going on to flop.
However, the worst appears to now be behind Everton who have spent well under Sean Dyche and even learnt to become more accomplished sellers this transfer window. We will now look at the Toffees' top five most expensive signings of all time, and they have all come under Moshiri.
Everton most expensive signings: The top 5
| Everton most expensive signings | Joined from | Fee | Goals (Apps) | Honours with club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇸 Gylfi Sigurdsson | Swansea | £44m | 156 (31) | N/A |
| 🇧🇷 Richarlison | Watford | £36m | 152 (53) | N/A |
| 🇧🇪 Amadou Onana | Lille | £31.5m | 72 (4) | N/A |
| 🇧🇪 Romelu Lukaku | Chelsea | £31m | 166 (87) | N/A |
| 🇳🇬 Alex Iwobi | Arsenal | £28m | 140 (9) | N/A |
Gylfi Sigurdsson – £44m
Regarded as a huge signing of intent at the time, Gylfi Sigurdsson had already starred for both Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City, and for the most part, he lived up to his hefty price tag. Registering 56 goal involvements across his 156 appearances and playing in Europe for the Toffees shows good value for money.
However, his stint at Goodison Park was cut short due to reported legal issues off the pitch, with the former Iceland international now playing first-team football in his home country. Sigurdsson was a solid signing by Moshiri, but players like himself were too few and far between to make Everton a regular side pushing for European football.
Richarlison – £36m
Richarlison followed his two-time manager, Marco Silva, from Watford to Goodison Park in what was seen as a huge deal for someone so inexperienced. The Brazilian international had scored just five times across his 38 appearances during his Premier League debut season, but the Toffees saw fit to splash out £36 million on the versatile forward.
The striker ended up becoming a cult hero among Everton supporters helping them avoid relegation on several occasions. His time with the Toffees was his most successful spell in front of goal netting 53 times, but they were forced to sell their star attacker last summer.
Everton ended up making almost £15 million profit on Richarlison 12 months ago as they tried to balance their books and they sorely missed their talisman who scored 15 times for his new club.
Amadou Onana – £31.5m
Everton took a punt on 20-year-old Amadou Onana when they paid over £30 million for a young midfielder who'd never stepped foot in the Premier League. However, it was certainly a gamble worth taking as he established himself as a starter for Belgium and one of the most imposing midfielders in the league.
Onana played at least 30 games in the league during both his seasons with the Toffees and that saw him attract interest from Champions League outfit Aston Villa this summer. The Belgian international moved to Villa Park for £50 million which helped Everton's PSR issues but has left a void in midfield.
Romelu Lukaku – £31m
By far the best signing on this list from an Everton perspective. Having initially spent a season on loan with the Toffees netting 19 goals and helping them finish 5th, Lukaku joined the following summer for a bargain fee of £31 million.
The Belgian striker went on to register 114 goal contributions in just 166 appearances for Everton, so it was inevitable he'd finally move away. Manchester United came calling and paid £75 million in 2017 and to this day, he's never truly been replaced.
Alex Iwobi – £28m
A signing at the time which seemed to be a lot of money, especially when Alex Iwobi had done little to prove his worth at Arsenal, but the Nigerian turned out to be a solid player. His versatility as a winger, wing-back and central midfielder endeared him to the Evertonians.
Iwobi is now at Fulham having been seen as surplus to requirements last season but he certainly did a solid job in the Toffees' numerous fights against the drop. He was never a player to tear up trees at Goodison Park but always gave his all for the badge.
