Worst Everton Signings in Premier League History: The Ultimate Flop XI
Recruitment can make or break a football club. For every incredible bargain like Séamus Coleman, there is a high-profile transfer calamity that leaves fans scratching their heads. With the transfer window now open, here’s a look at the club’s most memorable Premier League missteps, featuring expensive flops, tactical misfits, and players who were just plain shite,
1. Richard Wright (Goalkeeper)
Signed for £3.5 million in 2002, Wright’s Goodison career is remembered more for freak injuries than clean sheets. He famously fell out of his loft, injuring his shoulder, and later ignored a sign warning him not to warm up in the goalmouth, promptly tripping over the sign and injuring his ankle.
2. Marc Hottiger (Right-Back)
The Swiss international arrived from Newcastle in 1996 with a decent reputation but quickly looked entirely out of his depth. Lacking the defensive awareness and physical edge required for a physical side like Everton, Hottiger made just 17 league appearances before being swiftly moved on to Lausanne.
3. Cuco Martina (Left-Back / Right-Back)
Brought in on a free transfer by Ronald Koeman in 2017, Martina was a right-back forced to play heavily at left-back due to an injury crisis. While his effort couldn’t be faulted, his performances were heavily exposed. He constantly looked uncomfortable on his weaker foot, typifying a chaotic, poorly constructed era for the squad.
4. Per Krøldrup (Centre-Back)
Perhaps the most infamous defensive signing in Everton history. David Moyes spent £5 million on the Danish international in 2005. Krøldrup suffered an immediate injury, and when he finally made his debut on Boxing Day against Aston Villa, he was completely bullied in a 4-0 defeat. It quickly became apparent he could not cope with the aerial demands of English football, and he was sold back to Italy just 31 days later after only two appearances.
5. Antolín Alcaraz (Centre-Back)
Alcaraz followed manager Roberto Martínez from Wigan on a free transfer in 2013. Unfortunately, his spell on Merseyside was a total disaster, marred by constant injuries and high-profile defensive errors. His nightmare performance in a Europa League defeat to Dynamo Kyiv remains heavily etched in the minds of frustrated Evertonians.
6. Aiden McGeady (Left-Wing)
McGeady arrived in January 2014 with plenty of hype surrounding his technical skill and trickery. However, the Republic of Ireland international became the ultimate definition of a frustrating winger—plenty of step-overs but very little end product. He managed just one league goal before being loaned out and eventually sold.
7. Alex Nyarko (Centre-Midfield)
The Ghanaian midfielder cost £4.5 million in 2000 but failed to adapt to the pace of the league. The defining moment of his Everton career came during a match against Arsenal in 2001, when a furious Everton fan ran onto the pitch and offered to swap shirts with Nyarko because his performance was so listless. Nyarko requested a transfer immediately after the game.
8. Claus Thomsen (Centre-Midfield)
Signed by Joe Royle for £900,000 in 1997, the towering Danish midfielder simply could not find his footing in the team. He was often deployed in positions that did not suit him, looked clumsy on the ball, and is mostly remembered for scoring an own goal in a crucial Merseyside derby before being sold a year later.
9. Brett Angell (Striker)
Angell is widely regarded by older Premier League fans as one of Everton’s toughest watches up front. Originally signed on loan before a permanent £500,000 move in 1994, the striker possessed a heavy first touch that became a regular source of groans at Goodison Park.
10. Sandro Ramírez (Striker)
When Everton triggered Sandro’s £5 million release clause from Málaga in 2017, it looked like the bargain of the summer. Instead, the former Barcelona academy graduate scored just one goal in 16 appearances across all competitions. He looked completely unsuited to the Premier League and spent the rest of his lucrative contract on various loans.
11. Neal Maupay (Striker)
The modern addition to this historic list. Signed for roughly £15 million from Brighton in 2022 to fix a desperate goal shortage, Maupay’s time leading the line was an exercise in pure frustration. He scored exactly one goal in 29 Premier League appearances for the club, missing several crucial sitters before being loaned out, perfectly encapsulating the club’s recent recruitment struggles.