Everton were handed the opportunity to bring Robin Van Persie to Goodison Park.
Ronald Koeman blocked a potential move for Everton to bring Premier League legend Robin van Persie to Goodison Park, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The summer of 2016 left heads spinning and tabloids drooling, The Toffees linked relentlessly to a whole host of potential transfer targets.
With Farhad Moshiri taking over from Bill Kenwright as the club’s new majority shareholder, Everton suddenly had the kind of funds that many a Goodison Park matchgoer had dreamed off for years. The phrase ‘shoestring budget’ was now a thing of the past.
Understandably, the Merseyside giants were in the market for a number of marquee signings and, according to The Echo, one of the greatest strikers of the 21st century had been lined up for a potential return to British shores.
At the time, former Arsenal and Manchester United talisman Van Persie was coming off the back of a 16-goal debut season at Fenerbahce. So while his best years may have been behind him, many on the blue half of Stanley Park might have felt that the chance to sign a truly world-class frontman was too good to turn down.
Unfortunately, Koeman was not one of those. The Echo claims that the newly-appointed Everton boss passed up the chance to work with his fellow Dutchman.
And who did Everton sign instead? Erm, Enner Valencia on loan from West Ham.
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