Former Everton forward Cenk Tosun has revealed that his decision to join the club back in 2018 was the right one to make, insisting that he had “successful periods” during his time at Goodison Park.
The Turkish international joined the Toffees in January 2018 when the then Everton boss Sam Allardyce threw down £27 million for Tosun’s services.
Joining from Turkish giants Besiktas, the signing of the forward was strangely announced during half-time at a Third Round FA Cup defeat to Liverpool.
Scoring just 11 times in 61 appearances for the club, the German-born Tosun said, “I didn’t have much trouble in England because my English was good. It is a country similar to Germany, there were not many difficulties.
“I cannot say ‘I wish I had not gone to England’. My dream was the Premier League. Maybe it was not the right league. It would have been different if I went to Spain.
“But my childhood dream was the Premier League. I had successful periods. I had injuries. I had good experiences in 4.5 years. If we turned back time, I would go again.”
Tosun may not regret his time at the club, but Everton may well regret forking out £27 million for a forward who offered so little in return.
Indeed, in recent years when the club needed to free up money for reinvestment, Tosun’s rejection of permanent moves away from the club saw him become a source of frustration amongst fans, seemingly content as he was to run his contract down at a club where he had no future, rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.
Of course, he was also hampered by injuries, and had 2 loan spells during his 4 years at Goodison Park, firstly to fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace, and then to Besiktas, where he returned on a permanent basis in July 2022 following the expiration of his contract at Everton.
Since his return to Istanbul, the 31-year-old has scored 4 goals in 12 appearances, where he features alongside Everton loanee Deli Alli.