When a club announces anew signing, often that’s the exact moment when all lingering anxieties can be freed and fans can be certain that there is a new arrival. However, the cryptic case of Juan Román Riquelme largely contradicts this common belief.
As an announcement on the official Everton site detailed his move to the Blues from Villarreal, an abundance of Blues wholeheartedly believed they had captured the Argentine. “You just couldn’t get him [Riquelme] off the ball”, David Moyes confessed, in the Summer of 2005, following the first leg of an infamous tie with the Yellow Submarine.
However, the shocking and superb news was quickly dismissed. It was soon revealed that this incredible announcement was the result of a home page test display that went awry. Therefore, even if Everton officially announce a transfer, it’s not immune to collapsing.
Another Argentine midfielder who enjoyed a classy career in Spain was Éver Banega. Following an impressive loan spell at Atletico Madrid, it seemed the then 21-year-old was destined to prove his worth in the Premier League.
Work permits can often convolute transfer conundrums, yet Everton secured Banega’s in August 2009, ahead of a season-long-loan deal from parent club Valencia. Moyes even declared “Éver [Banega] is on a year’s loan,” further strengthening the rumour.
This time, a technical error wasn’t the cause of the failure, in fact it wasn’t as complex. Banega decided he still had things to learn in Spain, and the transfer fell through during extremely late negotiations.
Nicknamed ‘The Bouncer’, Leroy Fer seemed like the perfect replacement for Marouane Fellaini, as his departure seemed probable in January 2013. A robust yet technical holding-midfielder, Fer had agreed an £8.6M deal with the Blues which would see him leave FC Twente and begin life in England.
Injuries would subsequently derail Fer’s career and equally stopped his move to Everton from materialising. After failing a medical due to a knee issue, the terms of the deal became fragmented, and the Dutchman joined Norwich City just 6 months later.
In contrast to the trio aforementioned, Henry Onyekuru was not only an exciting, pacy forward rather than a midfielder, but he also officially signed for Everton for a reported fee of £7M, back in June 2017.
Following a prolific 22-goal campaign for KAS Eupen, the Blues captured the former Nigerian international on a 5-year contract. A work permit proved to be a persistent barrier, however, forcing an immediate loan to Anderlecht, which was followed by a valuable loan to Galatasaray.
Both loans proved to benefit Onyekuru, who was rarely present – never making a single appearance – but was sold for just under double the amount the Toffees paid for him (£12.5M). Smart business? Maybe, but it would have been interesting to see how the once highly sought-after winger would perform during the egregious reign of Ronald Koeman and beyond.
During Carlo Ancelotti’s first summer transfer window as Everton boss in 2020, Everton eagerly searched for a promising, proven centre-back who could emerge as a viable option alongside the likes of Yerry Mina and Michael Keane.
Targets included Ben Godfrey and none other than Arsenal sentinel, Gabriel Magalhaes. Before signing the former (Godfrey), it seemed the Brazillian international was set to sign for the Blues.
In a recent podcast, Magalhaes admitted, “I went to Everton, did a medical exam, crazy bro…” emphasising the proximity of him moving to Merseyside. Personal terms were agreed, a £30M fee was accepted, yet he didn’t end up signing for the Toffees.
Instead, Arsenal hijacked the deal and completed the £27M signing in September 2020. Whilst Godfrey left Everton after an inconsistent 4-year stay, Gabriel has been integral to Arsenal’s fine defensive record. What could’ve been…
Of course, there are undoubtedly a plethora of other players who were on the verge of signing for Everton, only to seek opportunities elsewhere. However, it would take as long as it’s taking for us to sign a quality winger to list every single one.