In recent years, Everton have done excellent business in the transfer market by focusing their attention on younger talent and allowing them to develop at Goodison Park rather than signing big-money players who are already past their prime.
Jarrad Branthwaite arrived on Merseyside from Carlisle United for just £1 million a few years ago, bided his time and ended up making a big impact on the Toffees’ first team so far this season.
He made 33 Premier League starts under manager Sean Dyche and formed an integral partnership with James Tarkowski at the heart of the club’s defense – a huge key to the club’s survival in the Premier League this season.
However, his performances have attracted interest from fellow Premier League side Manchester United, who are rumored to be eyeing a big-money move for the 21-year-old this summer.
Although the club does not want to lose its young talents this summer, this is a reflection of the excellent deals on the market as the club needs to focus more on young talents in the coming years.
As well as Branthwaite, the club also invested in a promising young player a few seasons ago and the Toffees began to reap the rewards of their brilliant scouting network.
Vitaliy Mykolenko’s stats at Everton in the 2023/24 season
Left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko joined the club from Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev in January 2022 in a £17 million deal. The then 22-year-old was seen as the perfect long-term replacement for Lucas Digne, who soon moved to Aston Villa a few days later.
After a slow start at Goodison – but above all described as a “weak link”. by journalist Richard Buxton last year – the 2023/24 season was arguably his best yet at the club, with Mykokenko showing signs of fully settling into Premier League life.
While he scored two goals in the league this season, Mykolenko has established himself as a reliable defensive full-back, dominating in many areas throughout the season.
The Ukrainian is averaging 1.4 successful tackles per 90 in the Premier League this season, as well as 1.3 interceptions and three clearances – the latter ranking in the top three of all Toffees players.
Just over two years since arriving in England, Mykolenko has proven he is worth every penny of his £17m transfer fee and his market value has risen sharply as a result of his performances.
Vitaliy Mykolenko’s market value in 2024
The “sensational“The defender, as described by author Peter Guy, now commands a market value of £24m according to Transfermarkt, with his value now higher than that of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who is now reportedly worth just £18.8m is despite signing a £25m contract in 2017.
His rapid rise has also seen him overtake players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto, who are rated the same as Pickford, with the latter having suffered a huge decline since his £26million move less than a year ago.
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Players who are worth less than Mykolenko at Everton |
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|---|---|
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player |
Market value |
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Jordan Pickford |
£18.8m |
|
James Garner |
£18.8m |
|
Dominic Calvert Lewin |
£18.8m |
|
Be |
£18.8m |
|
Abdoulaye Doucoure |
£10.3m |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
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His transformation under Dyche in recent months has been nothing short of sensational, with the Ukrainian having the potential to be the club’s left-back for many years to come.
His transfer is proof that you can recruit players from outside Europe’s top five leagues who can have a big impact on the club while also making a decent profit. The full-back will undoubtedly be a huge asset to the Toffees should he ever leave Goodison Park.
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