Everton made an immediate impression on Alcaraz, even if it took the club much longer to conclude they wanted to sign the 22-year-old
Carlos Alcaraz’s first social media post after becoming Everton’s first summer signing told a story without the need for words. The 22-year-old is officially a Blue after the club triggered the option in their loan deal with Flamengo to make his move permanent.
The deal, for a fee of around £12.6m, marked the beginning of a busy summer. He is the first men’s senior player bought for the club by new owners The Friedkin Group.
Whether Everton would opt to make Alcaraz their own had been a source of intrigue for months. Blues boss David Moyes took longer than many supporters to be convinced by the Argentine and, when it became impossible for Everton to provide him with enough starts to trigger an obligation to buy Alcaraz, his future remained uncertain.
READ MORE: Everton announcements imminent as decisions to be made on four players after window opens
The former Southampton and Juventus player then exploited the opportunity provided by Moyes’ ability to start him without having to consider the terms of his contract to finish the season in fine form.
Alcaraz created a goal in the home draw against Ipswich Town, was involved in all three in the comeback win at Fulham then glanced in the winner at Newcastle United on the final day.
If it took all of that to convince Everton to make him part of their future, Alcaraz’s mind appeared made up months earlier. The attacking midfielder had spent years searching for a footballing home to settle and develop in, crossing between South America and Europe for a third time when Everton signed him on loan in the final minutes of the January transfer window.
He looked as though he believed he had found that base in February. On a dreary afternoon at Selhurst Park, Alcaraz produced a clever, dominant performance that secured a vital win as Moyes began to lift Everton clear of the relegation fight that appeared so perilous just weeks earlier.
Alcaraz created Beto’s opener then lashed in a second half winner amid a wider performance that showcased his value at both ends of the pitch.
He left the pitch alone after taking in the adulation of the away end and looked full of emotion as he did so, Alcaraz repeatedly holding the Everton crest on his shirt to his heart during the celebrations.
Soon after, he appeared set on his ambition to earn a deal at Everton, admitting: “I try not to think too much about the loan, the objectives and so on. I try to keep a cool head, to be patient, but I know that if I do things right, things will take care of themselves.
“It would be great to stay here because the club, the institution, the fans... they’re great. It’s very crazy but that’s why I’m very calm and will keep doing the work I’ve been doing and show what type of player I am.”
The first acknowledgement of his success in becoming a Blue came online on his Instagram, when he posted an image not from recent highlights at Craven Cottage or St James’ Park. Instead it was from that pivotal afternoon at Selhurst Park that clearly convinced him Everton was the club he wanted to call home. Now, he can.