Nathan Patterson joined Everton from Glasgow Rangers at an unbearable time for the club. The ill-fated Rafael Benítez made the right-back his second signing of the January 2022 transfer window, 3 days after the successful signing of Vitalii Mykolenko. Whilst both signings brought hope for the Blues, only the latter has emerged as a first-team starter, 3½ years on.
In that lengthy period, Patterson has made just 49 Premier League appearances, with 23 of these as a substitute. Although a string of injuries has sidelined the ex-Rangers man for around one-third of his Everton career, the notion that he simply hasn’t been selected due to disappointing performances for the remainder of his Everton career is evidently reasonable.
Notably, Sean Dyche was clearly not an admirer; however, it is difficult to judge how current manager David Moyes sees Patterson’s future at Everton.
One of the right-back‘s key attributes is generally thought to be his crossing ability, which he was renowned for during his time at Rangers, yet Evertonians have merely seen diminutive glimpses of this. A simple 10-yard pass to tee up the dynamic Dwight McNeil for a twisting scorcher against Ipswich Town was his sole assist last season. In contrast, free agent Kyle Walker-Peters recorded 2 fine assists in an abysmal Southampton side last campaign and has appeared as a viable solution to Everton’s chronic right-back issues.
If Everton do capture frequent target Walker-Peters, or a player of his level to fill the role, that would leave Patterson in an awkward situation. Does he remain as a somewhat inconsistent back-up, alongside veteran Seamus Coleman, with his playing time reduced at the age of 23? Or would a loan move to a high-level Championship club suffice for his missed minutes due to injury? Both options will likely depend on the Scot’s performance over the course of pre-season.
Some supporters may suggest a permanent move would be beneficial for both Patterson and the club, yet for me, it not only seems illogical to list the 23-year-old – who perhaps still has a couple of years to realise his full potential – but also unlikely that there will be any concrete interest in the right-back from other clubs. In addition, the £16M fee Everton paid for him would only be partially generated back, given his awful injury record at such a young age.
It is incredibly easy to forget that Patterson has been contracted at Everton for over 3 years, but it seems that now is the time for him to step up and find his feet – whether that is at the Hill Dickinson Stadium or elsewhere. Whilst his future will be divisively debated, all Evertonians can agree that Patterson must play more football to become a first-team starter for the Blues.