There isn’t likely to be any Evertonian who will wish anything but the best for Theo Walcott after his transfer to Southampton was confirmed on Tuesday.
The winger joined Everton in January 2018 and after making an encouraging start to his life at the football club quickly fell down the pecking order.
Although his powers clearly waned in the latter stages of his time in a blue shirt, Walcott was always amicable and could never be accused of phoning it in, as so many Everton players in recent years have done.
The England international signed for the club when it was in a state of panic. Sam Allardyce had just been appointed as manager and the team was floundering in midtable, prompting the big-money signings of Walcott and Cenk Tosun.
With Walcott now gone and Tosun injured and impossible to shift, these acquisitions are examples of the below-par recruitment that has been a huge hindrance to Everton’s development for a long time.
In the case of Walcott, signing a player of his age and injury record was always going to be a gamble. It was clear that there’d be little resale value—Everton have received no transfer fee for him after his contract expired—and he clearly lacked the spark that once made him a force in the Premier League.
👋 All the best @theowalcott.
Just look at that away end! #EFC pic.twitter.com/7VZmMBqGfZ
— THE BLUE ROOM – EVERTON PODCAST (@TheBlueRoomEFC) May 18, 2021
While Everton have a new manager in Carlo Ancelotti and a new director of football in Marcel Brands, it would be smart for them to learn lessons from these types of deals.
This summer, the Toffees need to fill a number of huge holes in their squad. And while it might be tempting to bring in experienced players akin to Allan and James Rodriguez again in this window, the club need to shift to a different sort of profile of player.
If they don’t, there’s every chance Evertonians will be reflecting on more once great players who are no longer contributing, on substantial wages and difficult to shift out the door.