Everton: Toffees rejected ‘generational’ star for £5m, now he’s worth £215m

Everton finally seem to be getting back on track after a disastrous start to the season as they once again found themselves without a striker in the first half of the season.

The Toffees managed to carve open Fulham on several occasions, scoring a whopping 2.73 goals and allowing just 1.34 goals in those games, but it was no surprise that their striker shortage was at the top of the list.

Both times they lost 1-0, prompting Sean Dyche to move quickly in the transfer market.

Paying £30m for Udinese striker Beto is already proving to be a wise decision as not only does he provide that vital centre-forward, but he has also given the England international plenty of time to come back from injury in a better way than ever before.

He has scored two goals in his past two games to back up his good form, which could now set them up for a campaign that will hopefully be free of the relegation pressure of the last two.

However, if the rumours are correct, it’s possible that the Toffees have in fact signed a number nine of superior quality to both their current strike partner and the young players who are set to spearhead their reign for the next decade.

There’s no team in the world that wouldn’t jump at the chance to have one of the world’s best players on their side today. Did you know that Everton almost signed erling haaland in the summer of 2020/21?

Lewin has scored 16 goals in his time at the club, but that pales in comparison to the heights Haaland has reached since he burst on the footballing world stage in Austria. Again, their new Portuguese striker’s ten goals last season in Serie A was impressive, but the man from Manchester City stands out.

Rumour has it that he almost made the switch to Goodison Park, so it must be a bitter pill to swallow for the many managers who have been let down since Lukaku left.

The former Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, told the Daily Mail that he had visited Finch Farm in 2018 and seen a video of Haaland, then aged 18, playing for his local club.

Then chief executive Robert Elston said the £7m demanded would have been too much, and after some negotiation with the Norwegian club, Molde were willing to sell for £5m, but this was again rejected as too high for a player who was unlikely to make an immediate first-team appearance.

The Daily Mail also pointed out that, around the time of their interest in Haaland, the club had been spending with incredible freedom. In the 2017/18 season alone, Ronald Koeman had spent £175.77m on the player, yet the club had not been able to commit a penny to their future.

And what a gamble it would be, as he would prove to be a success in the second half of the 21st century, playing for Rhein-Stamm, St. Pauli and Borussia Dortmund before joining the Citizens.

In Austria he would notch 29 goals in 27 appearances, assisting a further seven, and upon moving to Germany, increase these figures even more despite the increase in standard. Improving his creativity, the hulking marksman would add 23 assists to his 86 goals, spread impressively across just 89 appearances.

He was ready to take his final step to the apex of world football, and given their steady rise alongside him, the Etihad seemed a natural fit.

However, few could possibly have predicted just how dominant the forward would instantly become, acquired for a supreme bargain reaching just £51m.

How many goals has Erling Haaland scored for Man City?

Whilst many might gawk at those ludicrous goalscoring figures across lesser divisions across Europe, it was expected that upon moving to statistically the toughest league on the continent, there could be a drop-off.

However, it could be argued that Haaland has never been so in-form, having broken all manner of records last season whilst spearheading Pep Guardiola’s push for, and subsequent winning of an unprecedented treble.

Claiming the Premier League title, alongside the FA Cup and Champions League marked an unparalleled return for a debut season, made even sweeter as he would break the division’s record for most goals scored in a single term.

Already across his short career in Manchester, he boasts 60 goals in just 62 appearances, with his 11 assists taking him over a goal contribution per game. Haaland always scores, and as such the words of pundit Rory Smith cannot be disputed: “Haaland’s different. Haaland is a generational talent.”

Unsurprisingly, his Spanish manager has rushed to laud him too, noting: “It is unbelievable how many goals he has scored – so many important goals to help us win games. He is a unique person, as a player but also the person is special. He deserved the guard of honour.”

To truly emphasise the exponential growth the 26-cap ace has enjoyed over the last few years, it is worth noting where his value lies given Everton passed up that £5m opportunity only five years ago.

What is Erling Haaland’s market value now?

CIES Football Observatory offers a fair estimation and unsurprisingly rates him among the most expensive players on the planet. Seemingly worth more than Bukayo Saka and Kylian Mbappe, and alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, an astounding €250m (£215m) figure has been placed on his head. Realistically, few could argue with it.

Given the goalscoring woes suffered on Merseyside in recent years, as their failure to find a natural heir to Lukaku has haunted them for so long, at last they seem to be in a good place, with Beto and Calvert-Lewin feeding off one another and pushing each other to reach new heights. Then, should one be struck down, a more than capable alternative is waiting to take the opportunity presented.

But there is probably no striker in this generation who will be as good as Haaland, and for that alone, it will be an error for which Everton will never be forgiven.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s no telling what heights he’ll climb, or what records he’ll break. He’s simply a freak of nature.

But that’s not all. He was also deemed by Everton to be too expensive at £5m.