Former Everton striker Kevin Campbell insists that the Blues shot themselves in the foot by sacking manager Frank Lampard before completing the signing of Netherlands international Arnaut Danjuma.
The winger had looked set to join the Toffees with a loan deal agreed with La Liga side Villarreal, before the move collapsed at the eleventh hour and Everton’s transfer for the player was gazumped by Spurs.
It was yet another public humiliation for the club and stinks of an amateurish set-up at senior level, with Everton now managerless and yet to make a signing 26 days into the month-long transfer window.
Indeed, it is a sentiment echoed by ex-Everton striker Kevin Campbell, who believes the club should have secured Danjuma’s loan deal prior to terminating Frank Lampard’s contract.
The former Blues forward said, “If you haven’t secured the player he’s free to speak to whoever he likes. That’s the transfer window, that’s what it’s about.
“He’s a winger so I don’t know where he’s going to play at Spurs.
“But with the sacking of Lampard you might just have shot yourself in the foot Everton, without securing the player.
“All of a sudden the manager’s not there, it’s like a rudderless ship isn’t it?
“He’s got no affiliation to the club, and I’m sure in negotiations Frank Lampard would have been quite prominent.”
Everton have seen a number of potential transfer targets sign elsewhere throughout this month’s transfer window, with Danjuma the latest in an increasing list of missed opportunities for a club in desperate need of new recruits.
With suggestions that a new manager could be decided by the end of this week, we can only hope that they have transfer targets already lined up, but the closer we get to the end of the window, the more likely we are to panic buy.