The ECHO takes a look at the journeys of 10 of the former Everton players who departed from Finch Farm over the course of the summer
Everton underwent a busy summer that included high profile sales and the release of popular academy prospects. The biggest deal was undoubtedly that which saw Amadou Onana leave for Aston Villa in a high-profile move that enabled the Blues to protect other key players from being prised away from them.
But there were plenty of other significant departures, including the exits of the likes of Andre Gomes and Arnaut Danjuma and the controversial goodbye to Neal Maupay.
Then there were the always-emotional farewells to starlets such as Lewis Warrington, who had grown up with the club, and it is hoped will be able to build big futures even if they are away from Merseyside.
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And, as we hit the mid-point of the second international break, here is a look at how 10 of those who left Everton are doing this season….
The most significant departure of Everton’s summer, Onana left for Villa in a deal worth around £50m. It was a move that suited all parties at the time and that remains the case even with the Belgium international having enjoyed a good start to the campaign.
Onan was keen to test himself in Europe and, while his talent was not in doubt, there were serious questions about the role he could play in Sean Dyche’s set-up, the Blues boss having opted against his inclusion in any of the three wins in six days in April that took Everton to safety and which were always going to define the relegation fight.
The Blues were also willing to accept the loss of Onana if it meant other players deemed more central by Dyche – such as Jarrad Branthwaite – could be protected. The club achieved just that by reducing its asking price and the result was a deal that gave Everton some financial security without the loss of a core player.
For his part, Onana has won plaudits at his new club already. The 23-year-old has two goals from his six league matches and played the first hour of Villa’s historic win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier this month.
He has already come face-to-face with Everton, losing possession to Dwight McNeil – who then surged forward to score his side’s opening goal when the teams met at Villa Park. Onana was later involved in the Ollie Watkins goal that started the comeback that saw Villa win 3-2.
Three others players are featuring in the Champions League this season having left the Blues in the summer. One is Danjuma, whose arrival on loan last year felt like a coup given his track record. It also showed a degree of maturity as both parties put behind them the controversial 11th hour U-turn of six months earlier, when Danjuma signed on loan for Tottenham Hotspur just as he was on the cusp of a January move to Everton.
Former Blue and current Spurs player Richarlison never allowed him to live that down, Danjuma told the ECHO.
The winger struggled for minutes under Dyche and then suffered an injury at the end of January, just as it appeared he might be about to win the favour of the manager. After returning to parent club Villarreal he started the season with two goals in three games in La Liga.
A loan move to Girona then followed, where he is yet to score in six league and two Champions League appearances. He came off the bench in the group stage defeat to Feyenoord, in which another ex-Blue Donny van de Beek scored for Girona, and started the recent 2-1 win over Athletic.
Ben Godfrey’s sale to Atalanta saw the defender link up with last season’s Europa League winners and another former Everton player in Ademola Lookman. The 26-year-old has missed part of the season with injury and his game time has been limited. But he did come off the bench in the Super League cup defeat to Real Madrid.
He was also a second half substitute in the 4-0 Serie A win at Lecce just before the international break, just days after being brought on for his Champions League debut in the win at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Alongside Godfrey, Lewis Dobbin was a pre-June 30 sale that Everton believe helped them towards compliance with financial regulations this summer. His sale to Villa came as a surprise after a breakthrough season for the academy youngster, who provided one of the most memorable moments of the campaign with his late goal against Chelsea.
The 21-year-old was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion shortly after his switch and is now experiencing life in the Championship – which was expected to be his destination last season before he impressed Dyche in pre-season.
West Brom have enjoyed a strong start and currently sit just two points off table-toppers Sunderland after nine games. Dobbin has featured in eight of those but is yet to start a league match since moving to the Hawthorns.
Dobbin ended his career at Everton with one senior goal – the same number scored by Maupay after his failed move from Brighton & Hove Albion. The 28-year-old spent most of last season on loan at Brentford, where he made an important contribution, but his former club opted not to make the move permanent this summer.
Instead, after a turbulent start to this campaign in which his social media antics caused controversy, Maupay became a deadline day departure for Marseille. While the deal was a loan one, the obligation for the French club to make it permanent means Maupay will not be in the Blue of Everton again.
Maupay has already equalled his Everton tally after scoring in his side’s win over Nice. His most recent outing ended in red mist however after he was sent off for two yellow cards in the draw with Angers. Maupay started that match leading Marseille’s front line – he was brought in after the first choice striker suffered a serious injury – but had received two yellow cards after just 30 minutes.
Gomes, whose contract expired in the summer, also ended up in France. The midfielder returned to Lille, where he had a positive loan spell the season before last, on a free. Gomes has started the last three games for the Ligue 1 side, another who can offer Champions League football this year.
Back in the UK, several of Everton’s academy prospects continue to settle in after leaving Finch Farm in the summer. Warrington made his Premier League debut in the win over Sheffield United but departed in the summer after the expiration of his contract.
The midfielder moved to Leyton Orient, who have struggled in their return to League One so far. They have drawn their last two though, including most recently against promotion-chasers Wrexham. Warrington was an unused substitute in that match. The 22-year-old has made seven appearances so far as he tries to establish himself back in a league he previously had success in with Fleetwood Town.
Another academy talent who was alongside him on the bench at times last season was Mackenzie Hunt. The 22-year-old penned a two-year deal with Fleetwood in the summer and has started well at the League Two outfit. A regular starter, he has three assists in nine games, typically operating on the left side of midfield. Hunt has also stepped into international football and made his debut for the UAE in September – marking it with an assist in a win over Qatar.
Also in League Two this season are Kyle John and Katia Kouyate. John sealed a move to Port Vale after his contract expired and the right-back has had his versatility exploited while establishing himself as a regular and helping Vale to top of the table. Winger Kouyate, who scored in front of Dyche for Everton in pre-season against Stade Nyonnais last year, joined Barrow, where he has also featured heavily for a team that is faring well in the early weeks of the campaign.