Tottenham Hotspur are interested in buying Richarlison, Anthony Gordon and Ben Godfrey this summer, but Spurs have not signed any players from Everton across the past 10 years.
In fact, only five players have ever moved to north London directly following their spells at Goodison Park. Only two of those deals also occurred during the Premier League-era, while one took place way back in 1899 and helped seal Tottenham’s first FA Cup trophy in 1901.
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Players heading in the opposite direction is also a somewhat rare occurrence, with Everton signing seven talents from Tottenham. Six stars have made the switch to Merseyside in the Premier League-era with Aaron Lennon the last for £4.5m in 2015 after an initial loan spell.
Tottenham interested in Everton trio Richarlison, Anthony Gordon and Ben Godfrey
Tottenham could make a rare trip to Everton for their transfers this summer, with Antonio Conte interested in Richarlison, Gordon and Godfrey. That’s according to The Telegraph, who report Spurs have kept close tabs on the Toffees’ bid to avoid relegation this season.
Frank Lampard has struggled to guide the Goodison natives clear of the drop zone since he replaced Rafa Benitez. The Blues falling into the Championship would see the Merseyside outfit become a prime place for vultures to shop as stars seek to retain a top-flight status.
Richarlison is one name expected to attract widespread interest four years after his £50m club-record transfer to Everton from Watford. Godfrey and Gordon, meanwhile, may earn interest particularly from the Premier League given the English duo’s homegrown grade.
Gordon has been superb for Everton, despite their struggles. The winger’s dazzled with his determination and ability on the ball. Jamie O’Hara even claimed he was ‘the best player on the pitch’ at Liverpool after he gave Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘the absolute run-around’.
Everton would be loath to lose any of Gordon, Godfrey or Richarlison amid Tottenham’s interest. Although UOL report Richarlison is planning to leave Goodison Park this summer with Manchester United and Newcastle also keen. Yet the Brazilian will cost at least £68m.
Tottenham, then, face a high price to formalise their interest in Richarlison and complete a transfer with Everton for the first time in 10 years. So, who else have Spurs signed directly from the Toffees in the past – including one who returned to Goodison after only a year?
Louis Saha last player Tottenham signed from Everton with 2012 swoop
Louis Saha was the last player Tottenham signed from Everton when Harry Redknapp hired the forward in 2012. The former Spurs boss struck a free transfer for Saha on deadline day that January. Yet the Frenchman only lasted six months in north London before his exit.
Everton let Saha join Tottenham as the striker had scored just once in his 18 appearances to start the season. He would go on to net three times and create another over 10 games for Spurs. But Tottenham did not elect to keep Saha and let him join Sunderland in August.
Seven months at the Stadium of Light followed, before Saha joined Lazio for the final six months of his career. The 20-cap ace retired in August 2013, having played his most games with Fulham (141), Manchester United (124) and the Toffees (115) across all competitions.
Steven Pienaar left Everton for Tottenham before going back inside a year
Steven Pienaar left Everton for Tottenham in January 2011, before going back to Goodison Park inside a year. Spurs swooped to secure the South African’s services in the winter sales with a £3m deal, after a proposed transfer to Chelsea collapsed due to his personal terms.
The winger had spent the previous four years on Merseyside, after joining the Toffees in a permanent deal in 2008 following an initial year-long loan from Borussia Dortmund. Yet he could not match his Blues output in the capital, hitting a goal and two assists in 18 games.
Tottenham saw enough from Pienaar in those 18 games to loan him back to Everton in the January 2012 market. The Goodison hierarchy then agreed to pay £4.5m to re-sign him in a permanent move and would call on the 62-cap international up to his departure in 2016.
Two spells at Goodison saw Pienaar make more appearances with Everton than at any club in his career. He featured 228 times for 26 goals and 49 assists, before joining Sunderland for a year then Bidvest Wits in South Africa up to retiring as a player in February 2018.
Ajax hired Pienaar as a youth coach in September 2018 before becoming a technical coach in July 2020. He held the role for a year, before becoming U18s assistant manager last July. The 40-year-old still holds the position and also works with amateur club SV Robinhood.
Pat van den Hauwe last non-Premier League Everton player Tottenham signed
Pat van den Hauwe was the last non-Premier League player who Tottenham signed from Everton in 1989. He had spent the previous five years at Goodison after leaving the club of his youth, Birmingham City, for Merseyside – where the left-back would play 143 games.
Spurs fielded Van den Hauwe in 87 first-team games during the Belgian-born 13-cap Wales international’s time in north London. He would leave Tottenham in 1993 to join Millwall in Division One for two years. The defender later retired in 1996 after a short stay at Hellenic.
Van den Hauwe enjoyed titles during his time at both Everton and Tottenham. The Toffees won the 1984/85 Cup Winners’ Cup in the full-back’s first season. He also helped Spurs win the FA Cup in 1991, while also lifting the Community Shield with both in 1985 and 1991.
Bobby Mimms left Merseyside for north London in 1988
Bobby Mimms left Merseyside for north London in February 1988 after three years as an Everton player. But those three seasons saw the goalkeeper depart Goodison on loan with Notts County, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City after his arrival in 1985.
Everton had signed the shot-stopper from Rotherham United yet seldom relied on what he could offer. Tottenham would not retain Mimms for long, either, and sold the goalkeeper to Blackburn in December 1990. He would remain at Ewood Park through to July 1996.
Yet Mimms was only the backup ‘keeper as Rovers won the Premier League in 1994/95. His career would later feature Crystal Palace, Preston North End, a return to Rotherham, York City and Mansfield Town before hanging up the boots in 2001 and becoming a coach.
Jack Kirwan helped Tottenham win first FA Cup after leaving Everton
Jack Kirwan helped Tottenham win their very first FA Cup title in 1901 during his six years in north London. Spurs signed the left-forward from Everton after a short stay on Merseyside. He would leave Tottenham for Chelsea from 1905 to 1908, before joining Clyde for a year.
Godfrey, Gordon or Richarlison could now join the Irishman in joining Tottenham directly from Everton amid Conte’s interest this year. It is a small group of players currently, and those to make the switch have clearly enjoyed mixed success – and not recently, either.
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