Everton are a club that has made many transfer errors in recent history, resulting in their woeful financial predicament.
Having seen punishments come and go this season as a result of many years of negligence, it is no surprise that Kevin Thelwell has sought to offer a fresh perspective on the club’s recruitment policy.
And whilst he has largely made great steps towards healing, he simply cannot get it all right…
Everton have internal feeling about Neal Maupay
Writing for The Athletic, journalist Paddy Boyland has sought to analyse the tumultuous reign of Thelwell thus far.
Having joined his current post as director of football in February 2022, the 50-year-old has gone about healing this broken institution with speed.
And whilst the steps forward have been stark, they are still so far from where they need to be.
However, it has not all been positive, with the occasional misstep unsurprisingly garnering far more attention than his successes.
Especially when that mistake proved as disappointing as Neal Maupay was last season, with this report now noting the internal feeling on the 27-year-old: ‘There is an acceptance, for example, that Neal Maupay’s summer 2022 move from Brighton has not worked out. While the forward has subsequently shown his value on loan back at former side Brentford this season, he was not deemed to be a great fit for Everton.
‘Maupay was signed to play as a foil to Calvert-Lewin but was forced into a lone striker role due to his would-be striker partner’s injury problems last season.’
Neal Maupay will never play for Sean Dyche
Whilst it might have been a bit of recruitment that made sense under Lampard, given the brand of football he intended to play, under Sean Dyche the Frenchman has no chance of making a name for himself.
After all, the 52-year-old boasts a long history of preferring his forwards to be towering, physically imposing figures, able to bully opposition centre-backs and cause havoc in the box.
Maupay simply cannot do that, instead offering a diminutive and awkward presence who snags goals from seemingly nowhere.
It is a testament to Dyche’s demand for such recruitment that two of the five signings he has made across the last year have been strikers standing at 6 foot 4 and 6 foot 3 respectively.
Meanwhile, the on-loan Brentford man is a mere 5 foot 7.
That barrier to entry for Maupay is a shame, given how he has managed to showcase what makes him such a useful asset whilst out on loan.
Eight goals for the Bees mark a fine return, having actually outscored Everton’s entire squad this season.
And yet, due to his size rather than his ability, Maupay stands no chance of becoming a mainstay under Dyche.