Everton failed to land a new right-back in the summer transfer window, which has forced David Moyes to already use three stars in that position – and former boss Frank Lampard is rubbing the salt in the wound by making the most of one former target.
Everton boss David Moyes was given free rein to sign a few transfer targets in the summer, and he landed the likes of Jack Grealish from Manchester City, Thierno Barry from Villarreal and more to strengthen his squad.
It’s worked quite well so far. The Toffees sit on 15 points from 11 Premier League games, closer to the Champions League spots than they do relegation woes, and their summer activity has proven to be a real catalyst for that.
But one failed transfer was Dutch right-back Milan Van Ewijk of Coventry City – a top young Football League talent that former boss Frank Lampard is enjoying with glee at present.
Coventry City star Milan van Ewijk celebrates a win in the Championship over Stoke City
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Frank Lampard is enjoying Milan Van Ewijk’s talents after Everton’s failed summer move
This season has shown what Frank Lampard can do with attacking talent on his defensive flanks.
Van Ewijk already has five assists in just 14 Championship games this season, and his previous tally of four goals and seven assists in just 87 games was still positive. Only Hull City’s left-back Ryan Giles has more assists with six, even though Van Ewijk is ranked 29th for expected assists, per FBREF.
That creative capability has been key for Lampard’s Coventry City side, who sit five points clear at the top of the table and seven points clear of automatic promotion – with a goal difference of plus-27.
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That makes Van Ewijk’s failed transfer to Everton in the summer even more frustrating, with none of Everton’s defensive players having recorded an assist this season.
Nathan Patterson featured in 19 Premier League games in the 2022-23 season, when Lampard was in charge until late January. Seamus Coleman played 23 times at top-flight level, while Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate could also play on that side of defence.
But barring Coleman, who was 34 at the time, none of those players had the attacking capability to make a real difference in the final third.
Everton badly need creativity at right-back and Van Ewijk appears to be a missed boat
Of course, some players who are promoted to the Premier League still depart for clubs within the division. This summer alone saw James Trafford move from Burnley to Manchester City, whilst current Everton star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall joined Chelsea from Leicester City the year before.
That proves that a move for Van Ewijk could be in the works even if Coventry are promoted after their rip-roaring start to the Championship season, but it does make a move less likely.
Seamus Coleman will be out of contract at the end of the season, and he’ll be 38 by the time October comes around, so it’s unseen if he will be given another year.
Jake O’Brien moving back to his natural centre-back position would see him act as vital rotation for James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, and Nathan Patterson simply hasn’t shown that he’s got the talent to be Everton’s long-term right-back.
Van Ewijk would be the ideal option in that attacking right-back role, though his form could even take him into a European side if Everton are unable to achieve continental football this season.