Everton's transfer window ended in chaos as the club finished with a smaller squad than they started with, a day after Jamie Carragher called them one of the worst-run clubs in the Premier League era
Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher
Everton fans remain furious and disheartened following the club's disastrous conclusion to the transfer window. Having abandoned plans to offload academy product Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, the Blues ended the window with a depleted squad compared to when it opened.
While Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Jack Grealish did arrive at the club, Tim Iroegbunam, Beto, Nathan Patterson and Iliman Ndiaye all left on a frantic final day of business. However, it was the events of Tuesday night that truly incensed supporters, as they witnessed the proposed move for Folarin Balogun dramatically fall apart.
Everton had struck a $53 million agreement for Balogun, but concerns over the striker's medical cast doubt over the deal; the transfer's terms were subsequently renegotiated late into the evening, and it appeared the USA international was poised to make the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Then, in a wholly unexpected turn of events, the forward had a change of heart and pulled out at the eleventh hour, leaving Thierno Barry as David Moyes' sole recognised striker at the club.
These chaotic scenes unfolded just 24 hours after Jamie Carragher outlined his longstanding concerns over the club's management, reports the Liverpool Echo.
"I stated this a while ago, a good few years ago, that I think Everton have been one of the worst run clubs in the Premier League era, they are one of the ever presents and there are not many of them," he told Sky Sports.
"When you think of what Everton were before the Premier League started - one of the biggest clubs in the country - and then the Premier League kicks in in the early to mid-90s, I think very rarely could you ever look at Everton in the Premier League era and feel like it was a well-run ship and everything felt like it was in place.
"A club that people looked at and thought that is the way to do it.
Maybe there was a time with David Moyes when Bill Kenwright was there, when they were signing really well, really clever business from the lower leagues, the Championship and it looked good. But since that time, a four or five-year era, it just feels messy all the time.
"When you think of their supporters, everybody is unhappy with their own club, no one likes the CEO, the owner should spend more money, you will hear that from every club.
"But when it feels really justified, it's probably Everton. It just always feels like this lack of ambition, or they are going somewhere, what journey are they on.
"It doesn't feel like they are going anywhere really and it's felt like that for a long time."