What does $60.25 million get you? How about $57.35 million? $47.25 million? If you’re Manchester City or Everton on Monday, not much — they’d have been better off with freebies.
Big-money signings Kyle Walker, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Ederson and Jordan Pickford underwhelmed for their new clubs Monday and it wasn’t pretty. Free transfer Wayne Rooney and oft-forgettable Raheem Sterling scored in a 1-1 draw between Everton and Manchester City at the Etihad.
Manchester City has spent $288.65 million in the transfer market so far this summer. Everton has spent $171.1 million. You couldn’t tell Monday.
Walker joined City from Tottenham for $60.25 million, at the time a world record for a defender (a record later broken by new teammate Benjamin Mendy, who did not play Monday). Walker lasted less than 45 minutes in his home debut. He received a yellow card in the 42nd minute and two minutes later was sent off for a second yellow for targeting Dominic Calvert-Lewin with his arm.
Sigurdsson became Everton’s most expensive player when he joined from Swansea for $57.35 million. He came on in the 61st minute and that was nearly the last we saw of him. Sigurdsson was largely invisible for 30 minutes, providing an over-hit free kick and not much else.
Gylfi Sigurdsson comes on. Photo: @Everton | Twitter
How about Manchester City’s Ederson? The goalie moved from Benfica for $47.25 million and didn’t look too sharp on Rooney’s goal. The goal was Rooney’s 200th in the Premier League, joining Alan Shearer as the only other player to accomplish the feat.
Rooney, who returned to Everton from Manchester United for free over the summer, didn’t have to do too much, just poke out a leg to redirect a cross from Calvert-Lewin. Ederson could have done much better. Watch how the ball ricochets off Ederson’s leg, careens off the inside of the post and into the back of his net.
ROOONNNNEEEYYY! That's 200 @PremierLeague goals for Wazza! pic.twitter.com/FipsDjQwuN
— NBCSN (@NBCSN) August 21, 2017
Ederson wasn’t the only new goalie playing Monday. Everton paid $32.25 million for Jordan Pickford. While the Toffees keeper couldn’t be held responsible for Sterling’s goal, his distribution left much to be desired. Whenever Pickford had to play the ball with his feet, he hoofed it as hard as he could without aim, often supplying City with a golden opportunity.
Pickford could thank another new signing, former Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen, for saving at least a point for Everton. Klaassen, who came on in the 61st minute with Sigurdsson, was nearly as invisible but for one clutch save to prevent David Silva from shooting from close range late in the match.
Everton’s new $33 million center back Michael Keane fared well for the most part over 90 minutes. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva ($59 million) and Danilo ($35.45 million) tried their best in the 25 minutes or so they were on the pitch as second-half subs.
On the whole, for all the money thrown around in the offseason by these two clubs, both have a long way to go to integrate the players into the team.
But at least none were as bad as this throw-in from Fernandinho.
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