It looks set to be another grim season for those of an Everton persuasion, with the Toffees currently languishing just a point above the relegation zone following Saturday's dismal defeat at home to newly-promoted strugglers, Luton Town.
After two successive seasons in which they have just about scraped survival, the hope had been that the Goodison outfit would be able to kick on under former Burnley hero, Sean Dyche, yet the early indications are that it could be more of the same this time around.
In truth, the Merseysiders continue to suffer as a result of the mismanagement that has occurred at boardroom level in recent times, with owner Farhad Moshiri having splashed the cash erratically over the years with limited success.
The Premier League mainstays have notably forked out £45m for Gylfi Sigurdsson and £35m for Alex Iwobi during Moshiri's time at the helm, albeit with such investments having failed to see a return to the golden days under David Moyes, in which the club were regularly challenging for European qualification.
Such highs now appear a distant memory for the club and its supporters, with it hard to think of too many marquee signings who have arrived and hit the ground running at Goodison Park, such as £27m man Cenk Tosun – who scored just 11 goals in 61 games in all competitions.
The Turkish marksman is not alone in having flattered to deceive under Moshiri's watch, with current first-team asset, Andre Gomes, also struggling to perform of late – as his plummetting market valuation can attest to.
Why did Everton sign Andre Gomes?
The 6 foot 2 playmaker – who is currently sidelined with injury – had begun his career on the books at Benfica and then La Liga side Valencia, prior to joining Catalan giants Barcelona on a £29m deal back in the summer of 2016.
It was just two years later that the Portuguese maestro was seeking a swift exit from Camp Nou after failing to establish himself in that glittering side, with the player at the time describing it as a "kind of hell" after even being booed by his own supporters as a marker of his woes.
That 'hellish' period allowed those at Everton to pounce in 2018 as Gomes' compatriot, Marco Silva, brought him to the club on a season-long loan deal, with the likes of Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne also joining from Barca in that same window.
Such a surprise triple swoop emphasised the strong ambition that the likes of Moshiri and Silva had at the time, with the current Fulham boss going on to lead the club to a respectable eighth-place finish that season – sparking a permanent stay in England for Gomes.
How much did Everton pay for Andre Gomes?
While previously described as "useless" and "incredibly frustrating" during his time in Catalonia – in the words of writer Muhammed Butt – a positive debut season at Everton saw the Grijo native secured for the long-term by Silva and co in the summer of 2019.
After making 29 appearances in all competitions during his loan stint, Gomes was then snapped up for a reported fee of around £22m, with the Toffees managing to fend off rival interest from West Ham United, who had seen bids of £18m and £20m rejected at the time.
Hailed as a "really important player" by his manager following that marquee move, the European Championship winner looked like blossoming into a mainstay of the side at Goodison Park, although it has proven a frustrating, injury-ravaged stint since then.
How many appearances has Gomes made for Everton?
Despite having joined the club just over five years ago, the 30-year-old has still only made 100 appearances in all competitions such has been the regularity of his spells on the sidelines, having failed to make 20 starts in a single Premier League season since 2018/19.
The experienced asset was even shipped off on loan to Ligue 1 side Lille last term after falling down the pecking order under Frank Lampard, going on to score three times and provide two assists in 27 games in all competitions in France.
Everton
100
2
7
23
Barcelona
78
3
4
7
Valencia
78
8
8
24
Benfica
41
4
0
9
Lille
27
3
2
6
Benfica B
17
9
8
2
Stats via Transfermarkt
That return is not far off what the 29-cap international has achieved throughout his time at Goodison – two goals and seven assists – having perhaps been better suited to life in Ligue 1, instead of the rigours of English football.
How much is Andre Gomes worth now?
Following that year out on loan, it is perhaps something of a surprise that Gomes remains on the books at his parent club, with rumours having been rife over the summer that Dyche and co were looking to move him on.
With the midfielder raking in a reported salary of around £112k-per-week, the Merseysiders were seemingly desperate to shift him from the wage bill, with a year still left to run on his existing deal at the club.
Alas, the forgotten man remains part of Dyche's squad for the current campaign, albeit while having yet to feature after yet again being hampered by injury.
Although the Toffees boss has indicated that Gomes still has a role to play this season – having "really enjoyed watching" the returning enigma in training – it remains to be seen if there will be a way for the Portuguese talent to truly force his way back into the side.
If, however, a departure is to occur in January, it looks as if Everton will have to take a substantial hit on their initial investment due to his expiring contract, with CIES Football Observatory valuing the one-time Boavista youth product at just €5m (£4m).
That is a decline of £18m in relation to Gomes' initial cost, with it fair to say that the club have not enjoyed value for money following that prior, high-profile signing.
In truth, the sooner his injury-plagued, Goodison nightmare comes to an end the better as far as Everton are concerned, with the player having seemingly outstayed his welcome at the club.
