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Everton’s struggles in the Premier League over recent years have left a generation of supporters questioning when it will be their turn to see the club secure a piece of silverware.
The Toffees have now gone over three decades without a trophy, with the club’s dealings in the transfer market often holding the club back from success.
Angus Kinnear has been berated for the lack of dealings during the summer window, especially after losing first-team regulars such as Iliman Ndiaye and Beto.
Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye
However, the lack of transfers will certainly minimise the risk of failed additions - as seen with one player’s turbulent period during his own time on Merseyside.
Why Gbamin is Everton's worst signing in recent history
During the club’s previous attempt to secure European glory back in 2019, Everton decided to fork out a reported £25m for the signature of midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
The Ivorian was seen as the perfect man to operate at the base of the Toffees’ midfield, but it’s safe to say the move failed to ignite as many of the hierarchy anticipated.
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The 31-year-old spent four painful years on the books on Merseyside, as the majority of his tenure was littered with various injuries which tormented him over countless periods.
During the aforementioned period, Gbamin only featured eight times for the Toffees, an average of just games per campaign - which puts his injury issues into perspective.
He suffered three serious injuries during such a period, with his Achilles injury in 2019/20 just a couple of months after his arrival seeing him miss 51 consecutive matches.
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Gbamin's injury history at Everton
Injury
Hamstring injury
Achilles injury
Ligament injury
Other injuries such as a hamstring tear and a knee ligament issue confined him to his measly appearance tally - before leaving on a free transfer in 2023.
His issues, transfer fee and sale for nothing all saw him become one of the club’s worst signings in recent times and has pretty much summed up the Toffees’ luck in recent years.
How one Everton star is becoming the modern-day Gbamin
As previously mentioned, Everton’s transfer business over recent years has left a lot to be desired for the fanbase who are crying out for a period of success on Merseyside.
Kinnear certainly hasn’t covered himself in glory as of late, with the pressure on the 49-year-old to help provide the goods for current manager David Moyes.
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However, the deal to sign Christian Norgaard from Arsenal this summer is another which has already come into question just five league games into the new campaign.
The Danish international arrived from the Gunners for a fee in the region of just £7m in an attempt to provide needed quality and experience to the heart of the senior ranks.
A couple of months on from the deal to sign the 32-year-old, it looks as though the move has been a mistake, with the midfielder yet to feature for Moyes’ men.
REUTERS/David W Cerny
He arrived with a muscle issue during the summer window, but is still sidelined with the same fitness problem - and his return to senior action is still unknown.
As a result, Norgaard could find himself suffering the same fate as Gbamin and going down as a disaster signing due to his continuous injury setbacks.
During the last three years at Arsenal and Brentford, the midfielder has suffered seven separate injury issues - highlighting his susceptibility to being sidelined.
He’s missed a total of 26 matches during the aforementioned period, subsequently missing over 150 days worth of action as a result of his constant troubles.
When fit, Norgaard has been a proven Premier League option, as seen by his impressive 91% pass accuracy rate within England’s top-flight last campaign.
However, the biggest concern will be his ability to perform on a consistent level and provide value for money after his recent summer arrival from Mikel Arteta’s men.
Christian-Norgaard-Arsenal
The player himself will certainly believe he’s capable of overcoming such issues, but given his age, it could well prove to be too much to handle for the Danish star.
As a result, it’s unclear if he will be able to reach such heights during his time at Everton, which would undoubtedly pile yet more pressure on the under-fire Kinnear.
Should his setbacks continue, it’s safe to say he would end up in the same category as Gbamin and become a player who failed to live up to expectations on Merseyside.
Idrissa-Gueye