Spurs were beaten by Everton to the pursuit of Ajax skipper Davy Klaassen in the summer – but the move has been nothing short of a disaster so far.
It’s no coincidence that Everton improved notably when Davy Klaassen was replaced by Ademola Lookman at half time during The Toffees’ Europa League clash with Lyon on Thursday night.
Though a late Bertrand Traore winner consigned Everton to two defeats out of three in the group stages and piled more pressure on beleaguered boss Ronald Koeman, the Merseysiders posed far more of a threat in the second ’45 at Goodison Park.
And while Klaassen cannot be blamed entirely for another dreadful first-half performance in front of their own supporters, there is a reason why the former Ajax captain is quickly becoming a scapegoat for his new club’s struggles.
“The situation of Klaassen is really difficult,” Koeman told Liverpool Echo of his £25 million playmaker after Everton’s 2-1 loss. “I know, I was a good player but I had several moments struggling.
“You are struggling with your confidence. You take wrong decisions. He had one shot tonight but it was an open pass to Dominic and it’s one v one on the goalkeeper.”
On this evidence, Tottenham Hotspur fans may be mopping their brow with relief. The Telegraph reported in the summer that Klaassen was on Spurs’ radar with Mauricio Pochettino a fan of a player who helped Ajax reach their first European final in over 20 years last season.
Klaassen, who scored 14 Eredivisie goals and set up another nine in 2016/17, has not hit the back of the net once or produced a single assist in Everton colours so far.
It’s difficult to see how he would have got anywhere near a Spurs side boasting Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and a reborn Moussa Sissoko, then.
And perhaps the most worrying sign yet is that Everton appear to be playing better without Klassen than with him.
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