A late Davy Klaassen goal helped the Netherlands beat Senegal at the 2022 World Cup. So, where are Ronald Koeman’s other final signings at Everton from the summer of 2017 now?
Klaassen was among the final nine players Koeman coaxed to Goodison Park five years ago during a large spending spree. Farhad Moshiri backed the Dutchman to deliver in a second season in charge. But he would sack Koeman in October 2017 after 16 months at the helm.
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Koeman left Merseyside with the Toffees inside the Premier League relegation zone after a summer spend of £140m. Despite the funds Moshiri bankrolled, Everton had only won two of their nine top-flight games. They had concluded the 2016/17 campaign in seventh place.
Koeman signed the Netherlands’ World Cup hero, Klaassen, for Everton in 2017
Everton sanctioned an influx of new players in 2017 as Koeman believed he could build on securing them European football. The Toffees had only competed in one UEFA tournament over their prior seven terms. Yet they have not returned to the European stage since 2017.
Klaassen left Everton in 2018, as well, having been a flop in royal blue during Koeman and Sam Allardyce’s tenures. Yet five years on, he is starring at the World Cup under Louis van Gaal, who Koeman will replace as the Netherlands’ manager in January after Qatar 2022.
The midfielder came off the bench and helped Oranje open their Group A campaign with a 2-0 win over Senegal. Klaassen tapped home his 10th Netherlands goal in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage-time. He has also assisted five goals in 36 caps since March 2014.
Klaassen stayed alert to fire in the rebound of Memphis Depay’s shot past Edouard Mendy to secure a 2-0 win. Cody Gakpo had already given Oranje the lead after beating Mendy to Frenkie de Jong’s cross with six minutes left. The result sees the Netherlands top Group A.
So, with Klaassen scoring for the Netherlands – who Koeman will manage at Euro 2024 and the next World Cup – at Qatar 2022 where are Everton’s nine summer 2017 signings now?
Koeman signed England’s World Cup star, Pickford, for Everton in 2017
Koeman made another current World Cup star, Jordan Pickford, his first signing during the summer of 2017 as Everton paid Sunderland £25m. The England No.1’s move to Goodison could also rise £5m from additional add-ons. Even though he had just endured relegation.
Pickford had also only spent one season as the No.1 at the Stadium of Light for 29 Premier League games. Yet the 28-year-old has been the first-choice shot-stopper on Merseyside in his six seasons so far. He has also kept 53 clean sheets in 194 top-flight games for Everton.
The Three Lions’ No.1 could not keep a 22nd clean sheet in his 46th cap, though. Iran beat Pickford twice as England opened their Group B campaign at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a 6-2 win. He has been the first-choice shot-stopper for the Three Lions since 2017.
Klaassen followed Pickford to Everton under Koeman on June 15, 2017
Klaassen followed Pickford through the doors at Everton on June 15, 2017. Koeman agreed to pay Ajax £23.5m for their captain and sealed his arrival on a five-year contract following Pickford’s move. Yet the midfielder would join Werder Bremen on July 27, 2018 for £12m.
Everton cut their losses on Koeman’s signing after Klaassen featured in just 16 games and started 10 across all competitions. He also only appeared five times after Moshiri sacked Koeman with one game under interim manager David Unsworth and four under Allardyce.
While Klaassen scored as the Netherlands beat Senegal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he also failed to score for Everton. Additionally, the 29-year-old only assisted one goal in royal blue. Even though he arrived after 20 goals and 12 assists in 50 games for Ajax in 2016/17.
Klaassen would spend two years in Germany with Werder Bremen before the Everton flop re-signed for Ajax in 2020. He remains in Amsterdam today under contract until June 2024. He also flew to Qatar after scoring four and creating one goal in 20 appearances this term.
Onyekuru never played a game for Everton after joining under Koeman in 2017
Henry Onyekuru never played a single game for Everton after joining under the former and upcoming Netherlands manager, Koeman. The Dutchman paid KAS Eupen £7m in 2017 for a 20-year-old winger. But he sent the Nigerian immediately out on loan to RSC Anderlecht.
A temporary spell with Galatasaray followed for Onyekuru in 2018/19 before he joined AS Monaco for €13.5m (£11.5m). He joined the Ligue 1 side after failing to gain a work permit to play for Everton, per Goal. Yet his career at Monaco did not return much success, either.
Onyekuru returned to Galatasaray on loan after just six months in the Principality. He also re-joined the Super Lig side on loan in January 2021 before joining Olympiacos that August. He is now on loan to Adana Demirspor after 27 games at Olympiacos and eight at Monaco.
Ramirez was another major flop at Goodison Park after his arrival from Malaga
Sandro Ramirez was another major flop at Goodison Park after his transfer from Malaga in 2017. Koeman spent £5.25m to trigger a release clause in the striker’s contract with the La Liga side. Yet the forward would only score one and create two goals over 16 appearances.
The Barcelona product also went out on loan to Sevilla and Real Sociedad (twice) before he joined SD Huesca in 2020. Yet he is now on loan to UD Las Palmas after a spell with Getafe in 2021/22. Ramirez only scored five goals in 20 games for Huesca over the 2020/21 term.
Lampard is now looking to sell Keane at a loss from Koeman’s deal with Burnley
Frank Lampard is now keen to sell Michael Keane to Nottingham Forest for £15m, per The Sun. The centre-half has only played 22 minutes of Premier League football so far this term in 15 possible games. He is behind Conor Coady and James Tarkowski in the pecking order.
Koeman paid up to £30m for Keane in July 2017 as Burnley owed Manchester United 25% through a sell-on clause. Van Gaal had axed the defender whilst in charge at Old Trafford for £2m. Keane has since featured in 189 games for Everton after 108 outings for Burnley.
Rooney returned to Merseyside as part of Lukaku’s move to Manchester United
Wayne Rooney returned to Merseyside in July 2017 as a part of Manchester United’s deal to sign Romelu Lukaku. Per Sky Sports, the Red Devils sent the striker, an initial £75m and £15m in add-ons to Everton. Yet Lukaku later joined Inter Milan in August 2019 for £74m.
Meanwhile, Rooney only stayed at Goodison until July 2018 when he moved to America at DC United. He is now the head coach of the Major League Soccer franchise after retiring in 2021 after a spell with Derby County. He also managed the Rams from 2020 until this year.
Rooney offered 11 goals and three assists over 40 games for Everton through the 2017/18 season. It took his career tally to 28 goals and eight assists in 117 games in all competitions for the Blues. He started his career at Goodison before joining Manchester United in 2004.
Martino made his move to Merseyside under Koeman after leaving Southampton
Cuco Martino reunited with his former Southampton boss, Koeman, in July 2017 after the full-back left the Saints. Everton agreed to sign the Curacao international as a free agent on a three-year contract. But the Toffees would come to regret the length of his contract.
Martina only featured 28 times for the Goodison natives and each came over the 2017/18 season. Additionally, Koeman utilised the right-back for nine of his games before Allardyce took over. He would eventually leave Merseyside at the end of his contract in June 2020.
Everton also sent Martina out on loan to Stoke City in 2018 and Feyenoord in 2019. But he only featured 18 and 12 times for the two clubs respectively. A spell with Go Ahead Eagles followed in 2021 upon his release. But Martina is now a free agent after he left this June.
Koeman broke Everton’s transfer record for Sigurdsson among his final signings
Koeman set Everton’s transfer record to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson for £45m from Swansea City in August 2017. The midfielder would be one of his final signings whilst in charge. Koeman also declared, via BBC Sport: “In his position, he is one of the best in the Premier League”.
Sigurdsson would go on to spend five seasons at Goodison before leaving at the end of his contract this June. Over that time, the 78-cap Iceland international offered 31 goals and 25 assists in 156 games. He hit 25 and created 17 in 136 appearances in the Premier League.
Vlasic secured a move to England after impressing Everton in the Europa League
Nikola Vlasic secured his move to England after impressing Koeman when Everton met his Hajduk Split squad in the Europa League. At 19, he stood out during the qualifying tie and got a £10m move to Merseyside. Yet his switch would not prove to be a success for either.
After catching Koeman and former Blues director of football Steve Walsh’s eye, Vlasic only offered two goals and one assist in 19 appearances for Everton. He then spent the 2018/19 season on loan to CSKA Moscow before joining them permanently in July 2019 for £14m.
Everton – under director of football Marcel Brands – also negotiated a sell-on clause which West Ham United activated in August 2021. The Irons brought Vlasic back to England from CSKA for £27m, plus £7.5m in add-ons. Yet he is already now on loan to Torino in Serie A.
Torino also gained an option to buy Vlasic from West Ham next summer for €15m (£13m). He left the London Stadium having only scored one and assisted two goals in 31 games in claret-and-blue. David Moyes also only started the 25-year-old in 20 matches altogether.
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