By Peter Lynch
Everton have done well to sell Alex Iwobi to Fulham for £22million, according to BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty.
The Nigeria international made a deadline day switch to the Cottagers from the Merseyside outfit, and was announced by Fulham on Saturday (2 September).
The midfielder was previously signed by Fulham boss Marco Silva in 2019, when the manager was in charge of the Toffees.
When asked by a member of the public if Iwobi is the bargain of the summer transfer window, McNulty wrote for BBC Sport: “Not really, no.
“Everton have done pretty well to get £22m for a player with a year left on his contract. Too inconsistent and not enough end product in my opinion but his attitude and willingness to try and improve is unquestioned.
“Fulham manager Marco Silva is also clearly a big fan having signed him at Everton so he is clearly confident he can get a tune out of him.”
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Smart business
Selling a player in the final year of his contract for £22million is a great accomplishment, one that many other clubs will be jealous of, with players constantly leaving for free upon the expiry of their deals.
That wasn’t the case for Iwobi, but unfortunately for Everton it was their only choice, with the Toffees definitely strapped for cash at this moment in time.
Manager Sean Dyche could definitely have used a player like Iwobi in the coming months, both for his creativity and versatility on the pitch.
Moreover, with over 200 Premier League appearances to his name from his time at Everton and previous club Arsenal, Iwobi’s experience could have been very useful.
The Merseyside club are lacking real leaders on and off the pitch, which has been an issue for far too long now at Goodison Park.
Fortunately for Dyche, goals and points are now finally arriving this season, but there is a long, long way to go before Everton are back to their best.
In other Everton news, the Toffees plan to reintegrate an angry player barring an unexpected late change, according to David Ornstein.