If Everton supporters can take one positive out of a difficult start to the new Premier League campaign, it’s that their summer recruitment – for once – consists of far more ‘hits’ than ‘misses’.
During perhaps their most impressive off-season in the Farhad Moshiri era, the Toffees landed one of Europe’s best young midfielders in Amadou Onana, England U21 international James Garner, and two proven, reliable central defenders; Conor Coady and James Tarkowski.
Idrissa Gana Gueye and Neal Maupay, meanwhile, represent clear upgrades on the likes of Tom Davies and Salomon Rondon.
Credit, then, must go to Kevin Thelwell; the former Wolves director making a respectable first impression on the Goodison Park fanbase.
Could Ruben Vinagre leave Everton already in the January transfer window?
But if there is one Thelwell signing that looks doomed to fail, it is Ruben Vinagre. Ironically enough.
Everton’s director of football worked with Vinagre at Wolves, after all, and was at the heart of a deal that saw the swashbuckling left-back return to England on an initial loan deal from Sporting Lisbon.
Five months later, Vinagre’s tally of Premier League minutes in Everton colours stands at a measly 24. He’s featured only twice in the top-flight. And it would take a rather dramatic change in circumstances for Everton to consider triggering the hefty £18 million option-to-buy clause in the 23-year-old’s contract; A Bola reporting that a return to Lisbon during the January window cannot be discounted.
The wrong man for the wrong club?
According to O Jogo, both Nottingham Forest and Fulham showed an interest in Vinagre before his reunion with Thelwell on the blue side of Stanley Park. And it’s hard to imagine that the former Portugal U21 ace would have found game-time quite so hard to come by at the City Ground, for instance.
Vinagre would have arrived at Forest long before the late-August signing of Renan Lodi from Atletico Madrid. What’s more, he’s far better suited to Steve Cooper’s 3-5-2 than he is to Lampard’s flat-back four. What Vinagre lacks in defensive awareness, he makes up for in athleticism and energy.
According to reports, Everton are on the lookout for a potential replacement in the New Year. Inter Milan’s Robin Gosens is one option, with Almeria’s Sergio Akieme also on the radar. Ditto Fabiano Parisi of Empoli.
Thelwell’s record at Goodison Park makes for rather impressing reading. But signing Vinagre is certainly a rare blot on an otherwise largely pristine copybook.
“Kevin was important,” Vinagre said in the summer. “He knows me very well from when we worked together at Wolves. He explained to me about Everton’s proud history, and the qualities you need here.
“It’s a very big club and you have to give everything for the supporters.”
Time may already be running out for Vinagre to justify Thelwell’s faith.
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