Everton eventually ended their long search for another right-back by signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon – but he wasn’t the man they expected to bring in on Deadline Day.
According to The Guardian, Everton had actually agreed a £9m fee with Fulham for Kenny Tete.
At that stage, the Dutch international appeared to be heading to the Hill Dickinson.
But there was a problem.
Fulham needed a replacement before allowing Tete to leave.
And that is where the deal unravelled.
Fulham replacement problem changed Everton’s plans
Fulham were attempting to sign Andrei Rațiu from Rayo Vallecano, but that move ran into difficulties.
With Fulham unable to secure the replacement they wanted, uncertainty grew over whether Tete would be allowed to join Everton despite the £9m fee having already been agreed.
Everton couldn’t afford to wait indefinitely.
Nathan Patterson was heading to Torino and Seamus Coleman had already departed, leaving David Moyes needing another option at right-back.
So attention switched to Maitland-Niles.
The former Arsenal player was in the final year of his Lyon contract and Everton were able to complete a permanent deal for considerably less than the £9m they had been prepared to pay for Tete.
It adds another interesting detail to what became a frantic final day of Everton’s transfer window.
Tete had been linked with the club for much of the summer and, by Deadline Day, Everton had finally reached an agreement with Fulham.
They still couldn’t get the player.
Instead, circumstances elsewhere dictated what happened next.
Fulham couldn’t land Rațiu.
Tete stayed at Craven Cottage.
And Maitland-Niles ended up at Everton.
Whether that proves to be a fortunate twist will only become clear over the coming months.
But given Everton paid Lyon just €3.5m for a 29-year-old with extensive Premier League and European experience, missing out on their original £9m target might not necessarily prove to be the worst piece of Deadline Day fortune.
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