Everton made a big mistake allowing West Brom midfielder Isaac Price to leave the club back in 2023, with the Northern Ireland international now flourishing for both club and country.
Price left the Toffees in 2023 after his contract expired with the Merseyside club. The then-19-year-old made the brave decision to move abroad, joining Standard Liege in Belgium on a four-year deal. The young midfielder made just three appearances for Everton's senior squad, playing a total of 45 minutes, and his decision to leave has looked like a smart one, featuring 63 times for Standard Liege.
The Toffees have regularly looked to cash in on academy products in recent years, offloading the likes of Ellis Simms, Tom Cannon, and Anthony Gordon, bringing in pure profit to help with their precarious financial situation. Unfortunately for Everton, Price left for nothing, with the Merseyside club unable to agree a new contract with the Northern Ireland international.
Everton Made Big Mistake Letting Isaac Price Leave
David Moyes
Everton might now be looking back on the Price situation with regret. Although the Toffees may have offered him a new deal, they clearly didn't do enough to convince him to stay, whether that be financially or showing a pathway to senior football. Price has already made 24 appearances for his country despite being just 21 years old, scoring 10 times while providing a singular assist.
In the 2025/2026 season so far for West Brom, who he joined from Standard Liege, Price has struck three times and provided an assist in just four Championship games. Price only joined in the middle of the 2024/2025 campaign, but after a full pre-season under his belt, he's now flourishing in a difficult league.
If Everton had of made a healthy amount of money by offloading Price, then they might be living with less regret, simply having to cash in to balance the books. Unfortunately, Price left for free, and although he's probably not good enough just yet to be playing week-in-week-out for Everton, having him on their books for the future will have been beneficial.
Price, who is 'on fire' at the moment according to EFL Analysis, is now being linked with moves to Premier League clubs, and it's a decision that could look worse than allowing Gordon to join Newcastle United. Although Gordon is undoubtedly the better player right now, they received a large sum of money to allow him to depart.
Sign up to The GIVEMESPORT Report to get exclusive daily updates from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, and Tom Bogert sent straight to your inbox.