Ranking Everton’s best big-money signings in recent years

Last week saw Everton complete the signing of exciting prospect Tyler Dibling from Southampton, with the winger joining on a four-year contract for a fee in the region of £35 million, plus £5 million in potential add-ons. Dibling has become one of the club’s record incomings, but how have the Blues’ other big-money incomings fared?

I’ve ranked the top five Everton players signed for £25m+ in terms of output and overall success with the Blues.

5. Amadou Onana (£33 million including add-ons)

​A player who very much split the opinion of Evertonians during his time at the club, Amadou Onana joined Everton from Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £33 million, including add-ons.

Onana came in with very high promise, having attracted interest from Premier League rivals as well as others across Europe.

​During his two seasons on Merseyside, Onana made 72 appearances, scoring four goals and creating four assists in all competitions. As a central midfielder with a lot of talent and expectation, however, you would argue that at times he flattered to deceive. The Belgian had the tendency to go missing during games, which would leave supporters bemused.

​Sadly, Onana’s time at Everton will probably be most remembered for his penalty miss during a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Fulham. Had the Belgian international converted past Bernd Leno, the Toffees would have progressed through to their first domestic cup semi-final in almost eight years.

​Onana departed the club in July 2024, making the move to Aston Villa for a fee in the region of £50 million. Given the club made a profit on the player after two up-and-down seasons, it perhaps warrants his place on this list.

4. Gylfi Sigurdsson (£45 million including add-ons)

​A player who still remains the club’s record signing, having arrived from Swansea City in the summer of 2017 for a fee in the region of £45 million, including add-ons, Gylfi Sigurdsson signed for Everton during the first ‘big’ summer of incomings of the Farhad Moshiri era. 

It was a summer in which the club recruited three ‘number 10s’, as Sigurdsson joined alongside the returning Wayne Rooney and Ajax captain Davy Klaassen.

​During the Icelandic playmaker’s time on Merseyside, Sigurdsson made 156 appearances in all competitions. He scored 31 goals and created 25 assists, becoming a key player within Everton’s attack during that period.

​However, in the summer of 2021, the player was ‘suspended’ by Everton due to an ongoing police investigation, with the club not confirming the name of the ‘first-team player’ for legal reasons. Sigurdsson ultimately departed Everton following the expiration of his contract in June 2022.

​3. Richarlison (£35 million rising to £50 million)

​A player who signed for Everton as somewhat of an unknown quantity, having had just one season of Premier League football with Watford, Richarlison arrived on Merseyside in the summer of 2018 for a fee in the region of £35 million, potentially rising to £50 million with add-ons.

The Brazilian forward instantly became a favourite with the supporters and earned his signature terrace song within months.

​A player who always gave everything on the pitch and was adored by Evertonians, Richarlison made 152 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 53 goals and creating 15 assists during his four seasons at the club. He was an influential figure within Everton’s attack, particularly during his final season, in which the club fought against relegation.

Everton secured their Premier League safety in the final home game of the season with a 3-2 victory against Crystal Palace, a game in which Richarlison scored a second-half equaliser for the Toffees, netting at the Gwladys Street end.

​Sadly, the Brazil international departed the club in 2022, making the move to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in excess of £60 million (including add-ons), in a deal that was PSR motivated. Some may argue that Richarlison deserves to be higher up in this list.

​2. Jordan Pickford (£30 million including add-ons)

​The only player within this list who remains an Everton player, Jordan Pickford arrived on Merseyside in the summer of 2017 from his boyhood club, Sunderland, for an initial fee of £25 million.

At the time, the deal made Pickford the third most expensive goalkeeper in history and the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time. That record was recently broken by Manchester City, who re-signed James Trafford from Burnley for a fee in the region of £31 million plus add-ons.

​Pickford is now in his ninth season at the club, and during his time with the Toffees, he has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. England’s largely unchallenged number one, he has represented the Three Lions at four major tournaments, as well as becoming a key figure at Everton, both on and off the pitch.

​To date, Pickford has made 322 appearances for Everton in all competitions and has 90 clean sheets. The 31-year-old's influence has seen him captain Everton on numerous occasions in the absence of Seamus Coleman, and he has been integral to the club's continued presence in the Premier League in recent seasons. For this, Pickford is right up there with Everton’s best signings in recent times.

​1. Romelu Lukaku (£28m)

It’s very difficult to split the top three, as each player has had their own individual influence on the club at different times. However, due to his output in terms of goals and developing himself into one of Europe’s best centre-forwards during his time at Everton, Romelu Lukaku ranks first among Everton’s big-money buys.

​Before joining on a permanent deal from Chelsea in the summer of 2014, Lukaku spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Everton and enjoyed an impressive spell, which saw the club finish fifth in the Premier League and narrowly miss out on a place in the Champions League.

Everton signed Lukaku for a fee in the region of £28 million, which at the time became the club’s record signing. It was a statement deal, prior to the days of Farhad Moshiri, when spending large amounts of money wasn’t necessarily the norm for the Toffees.

Including his loan spell, Lukaku spent four seasons on Merseyside. He made 166 appearances in all competitions, scoring 87 goals and creating 27 assists.

To this day, Lukaku remains Everton’s all-time leading goal scorer in Premier League history with 68 goals, and to the younger generation of Evertonians, they would certainly regard him as the best striker in the club’s recent history and one of the best Everton players of the Premier League era.

​Lukaku left Everton in the summer of 2017 and joined Manchester United for an initial fee of £75 million. Although there was disappointment at the end of his time at the club, many, if not all, supporters still hold the Belgian in high regard. Everton are yet to find a striker as prolific in front of goal as Lukaku was.

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