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It is fair to say, Everton have not been renowned within the Premier League for being the best at recruitment over the last decade.

Huge fees have been paid for players such as Yannick Bolasie, Morgan Schneiderlin, Davy Klaassen, Cenk Tosun, Yerry Mina, André Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Moise Kean, Allan, and many, many more, with the vast majority, if not all of those, offering very little return on investment.

However, the Toffees did have a genuinely top-class Premier League full-back on their hands, whom they decided to let go for just £2m.

That’s proven to be one of the Blues’ biggest mistakes in the market given their options on the right and left side of defence now.

How Everton's full-backs are performing in 2024/25

Last Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, in which Jack Harrison was on target, extended Everton’s unbeaten streak to eight Premier League games, with David Moyes propelling them away from danger and up to 15th.

Nevertheless, as the Toffees prepare to move into their brand-new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in August, they have a poor squad, with former England midfielder Karen Carney telling the Guardian she believes the club’s ‘long-term strategy’ should remain under scrutiny.

This lack of quality certainly extends to the full-back positions where, as outlined by Patrick Boyland of the Athletic, Moyes has a selection of imperfect options, so let’s assess these players.

As the table shows, two of Everton’s full-backs are both in their mid-to-late 30s and out of contract this season, with both Nathan Patterson and Séamus Coleman making very few appearances this season due to injuries.

This has left Ashley Young, who’ll celebrate his 40th birthday in July, and Vitaliy Mykolenko as the first-choice options, even though Boyland of the Athletic described the Ukrainian as ‘limited’ and ‘unspectacular’, hence why Jake O’Brien, a centre-back by trade, has been deployed on the right in recent weeks.

Mykolenko’s lack of forward threat is in complete contrast to another left-back, on Everton’s books until quite recently, now considered one of the best in the Premier League.

Ex-Everton full-back now thriving in the top-flight

Antonee Robinson joined Everton’s academy at the age of 11, making 27 appearances at U21 level for the Toffees, but never handed his first-team debut, loaned out to both Bolton Wanderers and then Wigan Athletic, before joining the Latics permanently in 2019 for a reported fee of only £2m.

The left-back made 65 appearances for Wigan across two seasons, catching the attention of Serie A giants AC Milan, seemingly set to make a £6m move to San Siro in January 2020, especially considering he travelled to Italy for a medical.

However, speaking on Ben Foster’s podcast, Robinson revealed that the move fell through because, during his medical, it was discovered that he was having ectopic heartbeats.

That prevents him from playing in Serie A, given that the Italian authorities are ‘very stringent’ when it comes to heart health, following the high-profile and tragic deaths of both Davide Astori and Piermario Morosini.

Instead, six months later, he moved to Fulham for £2m, paying his release clause following Wigan’s relegation, while Everton attempted to re-sign him, intending to then sell him straight away to make a quick profit, which Robinson himself said he “wasn’t having that”.

Now 27, the full-back has made 180 appearances for the Cottagers, featuring in each of their last 60 Premier League fixtures, starting all but one of these matches.

Robinson’s performances have been earning rave reviews, with Jeff Rueter and Andy Jones of the Athletic labelling him the ‘best left-back in the Premier League’, while David O’Brien of BBC Sport describes his displays as ‘outstanding’.

Meantime, Dom Smith of the Evening Standard notes that he has been ‘brilliant’, with Fadumo Olow of Sky Sports praising his ‘speed, defensive resilience, and attacking contribution’.

So, let’s take a look at his statistics this season.

The most eye-catching of the statistics in the table above is the fact Robinson has ten Premier League assists to his name, only Mohamed Salah has more, which is not bad for a full-back.

This has also seen Robinson earn international recognition, named United States men’s national team player of the year for 2024, having won his 50th cap for the USA against Jamaica in November, very much the undisputed first-choice for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a World Cup on home soil.

Football Transfers believe Robinson’s current value to be around £31m, which for context, is a higher valuation than anyone in the current Everton squad, even Beto and Jarrad Branthwaite and higher than £29m-rated Richarlison, a man sold by Everton for £60m.

Meanwhile, amidst interest from Liverpool, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reports Fulham would only be willing to sell for around £50m.

Thus, Everton must regret letting the American slip through the net, both when they initially sold him and then when they made a seemingly half-hearted attempt to bring him back to Merseyside.

He earns more than Ndiaye: Everton must axe Thelwell's "disaster" signing

The Everton board surely can’t wait to see the back of this miserable signing.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 12, 2025

The first game of the summer is over, but with Gold Cup kickoff just days away, the coach's challenges are only beginning

During Mauricio Pochettino's news conference, the U.S. men's national team head coach turned the tables on reporters. He had a question for the room: What is the most important action in soccer?

"The first touch," was one reply.

"The final one, the finish," was another.

Pochettino smiled and waved them all off.

"The next action," he said. "Of course, everything you all said was very important. But the most important action is the next one. You cannot think about how you missed the control, or missed the touch or the finish. Because you have to be ready for the next one. The next one comes quickly."

That's true, micro and macro. In terms of little things, yes, the players that make up the USMNT must put themselves in position to execute – but must also put mistakes, losses and disappointments behind them. Pochettino's question was in response to one about two quick goals, just three minutes apart, yielded to Turkey in a 2-1 loss last Saturday. There's a lesson to be learned, and Pochettino's words apply. They also apply to the big picture.

The U.S. is on to the next action, namely a friendly against Switzerland on Tuesday a 8 p.m. ET in Nashville – the last match before the Gold Cup kicks off this weekend. Turkey is over. So, too, is the Nations League from March.

Prior achievements or mistakes are in the past, and Pochettino is now looking for responses, not reflections. The next action arrives on Tuesday, and then another and another, and Pochettino's big message is to make the most of each one.

GOAL looks at five keys for the U.S. against Switzerland.

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  Adams out against Switzerland

  Seconds into his pre-game press conference Monday, Pochettino gave the bad news: Tyler Adams is out. Foot injury. Not serious. But not available.

  "I think it's not a big issue," Pochettino said. "We hope it's not a big issue. I think we can manage in a good way. He'll rest a few days and then we'll see if he's ready for the start of the Gold Cup."

  Without Adams, though, the situation changes ahead of this Switzerland game. For years, we've seen that there are two versions of the USMNT: one with, and one without Adams. There's no like-for-like replacement for the USMNT's midfield bulldog, and there certainly isn't anyone with his skillset in this particular camp.

  How, then, do you assemble a midfield against a top-20 world-ranked Switzerland team that put a smackdown on Mexico, 4-2, just a few days ago?

  That is the biggest question Pochettino will have to answer. While it's more important to have Adams healthy in the Gold Cup then in a friendly, every repetition matters for this team in the big-picture build-up to the 2026 World Cup.

  That said, it's an opportunity, in a sense, for some guys to make their mark. But it's also a challenge considering the fact that Switzerland could play a midfield with more than 250 caps between them. Is this a game for Seb Berhalter to make his debut? How important is Luca de la Torre's experience now without Adams? Can Jack McGlynn do enough defensively?

  The spotlight, though, will likely fall on another midfielder, the one who suddently has biggest point to prove.

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  Rebuilding Cardoso

  More than anyone else in the stadium on Saturday, Johnny Cardoso knew he messed up. There was no debate or discussion needed. It was a mistake, a very bad one, one that is impossible to explain away at any level. His giveaway led directly to Turkey's first goal, canceling the energy of the USMNT's quick 1-0 start.

  Pochettino said it best on Monday. It's all about that next action.

  Those words will particularly apply to Cardoso, who will certainly feel the weight of the world. He's long been criticized for not bringing his club form to the international level, and his mistake on Saturday only turned the spotlight brighter. Now, every touch will feel more important.

  Cardoso has his critics, yes, but Tuesday is another chance to prove them wrong. He spent all season playing incredible soccer with Real Betis, going toe-to-toe with the world's best. Those performances, like his mistake, are in the past. How will he respond?

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  The presence of Pochettino

  After fielding a series of questions about the USMNT's performance against Turkey, the USMNT manager had to field one about himself. Those Spurs rumors had popped up, as they so often have since his departure. Was there any truth to the fact he was interested in succeeding Ange Postecoglou?

  "Since I left in 2019, for the position of the manager or the head coach, my name has been appearing on every list!" he said on Saturday. "If you are seeing the rumors I’ve seen, there are 100 coaches on their list! Don't be worried about that. If something happened, you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing.

  "Today it's not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are, and I think the answer is so clear."

  Pochettino remains committed to the USMNT, and he remains committed to this all-important summer of succer in the U.S. It's a vital one for him as he looks to set a tone. This isn't about tactics or even really about results; it's about correcting all of the wrongs that were very apparent during the Nations League.

  "This attitude is what I want to continue to have in the future until we arrive to the World Cup," Pochettino said after the Turkey game, having repeatedly praised his side's mentality despite the defeat. "That is the only way that we can improve. If I decide in September to have a different roster, what I want is the same level of commitment, of attitude, between this and that squad, outside and inside."

  Tuesday is another chance to showcase that. He'll rotate, no doubt, but the expectation will remain the same. He'll hope that this will be another building block, regardless of the result, heading into a big summer.

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  A pair of Aaronsons

  There's been a phenomenon at USMNT training this week: everyone's seeing double. There are two Aaronsons running around – brothers Brenden and Paxten – and it's impossible not to notice, particularly in the moments where they crash into one another.

  "Their movements, their mannerisms, the way they talk – they're two of the same," Walker Zimmerman said. "There's no question they're brothers. It's fun to watch them, even in training, as they're squaring up against each other. Sometimes, you can see that there's a little extra brotherly pride on the line when they go into duels."

  Neither Brenden nor Paxten Aaronson featured in the loss to Turkey, which leaves them very available for this Switzerland game. Common sense would suggest that, if healthy, both get a look in this match – and perhaps there's a chance they get a look together. They're only the 10th set of brothers to have earned USMNT caps and, if they do feature together, they'd be the first to appear in an official game together since 1957.

  For all of their similarities, they are different players. Brenden can play either as an attacking midfielder or winger, and after his season with Leeds, he remains eager to prove he can impact the game on the attacking end. Paxten, meanwhile, can play those spots, too, but, during this breakout season with Utrecht, featured a lot as a central midfielder, too.

  "For me, my best position is box-to-box," Paxten said. "That's where I feel most comfortable, especially after the season I had in that deeper position. If you asked me two years ago, I probably would have said a little higher up. I think in the last year, I've played every position. In the Olympics, I played striker and left wing, then six with Utrecht, then eight and also 10. It's good to have versatility, but I've spoken with the coaching staff and let them know that my favorite position, the one I think I'm best at, is the eight."

  There is a scenario, then, where the younger brother plays just behind the older brother – and it could happen this week.

Bruno Fernandes has Manchester United fans worried with a cryptic message on social media amid talk of a £100 million ($135m) Al-Hilal move.

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Fernandes could make Man Utd exitHas been linked with Al-HilalSocial media message fuels speculationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Reports suggest that Al-Hilal are pushing hard to complete a move for Fernandes ahead of their upcoming FIFA Club World Cup campaign. His agent, Miguel Pinho, recently met with Al-Hilal executives at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh, with insiders describing the meeting as “positive.”

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Al-Hilal have reportedly proposed a three-year contract package estimated to be worth £200m ($270m), inclusive of substantial performance-related bonuses. The terms include a tax-free weekly wage of £700,000 — a staggering increase from Fernandes’ current £280,000 weekly earnings at United.

WHAT FERNANDES SAID

Fernandes has stirred anxiety among United supporters after sharing a thought-provoking message on Instagram, just as speculation intensifies over a possible transfer. The post, shared in Portuguese, read: "If you tried and failed, congratulations! There are people who don't even try."

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WHAT ARE THE FANS SAYING?

The timing of the message, coupled with transfer developments, has left fans guessing about what lies ahead for the United skipper.

@NadalistheGOAT_ wrote: "Sounds like he's off to me!"

@iyapo_eniola believes: "He's gone".

While @UtdCris_ wrote: "Yeah he failed thanks for the £100m tho."

However, @SeanGal1979 wasn't too bothered and wrote: "It’s has nothing to do with him leaving ! I think he saying others team mates don’t even try!"

@mudeet4u seconded him and wrote: "A post-season reflection maybe? We probably don't need to think deep over this."

A scintillating 143-run opening stand between Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma put India into overdrive. Then Virat Kohli smoked a 45th ODI century to take the total into high altitude.Sri Lanka replied gamely, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dasun Shanaka producing half-decent innings. But India had set a monster target of 374. And when Sri Lanka slipped to 23 for 2 then 64 for 3 against some excellent India seam bowling, the chase took on a permanently-doomed quality. Still, Sri Lanka didn’t fold cheaply – they pushed to 306 for 8 – Shanaka completing a second ODI hundred in the final over.Between them, India’s seamers took seven wickets, Umran Malik claiming the most, with 3 for 57. It was the hosts’ top three that defined the contours of this game, however. Gill smote 70 off 60, Rohit 83 off 67, and Kohli’s 113 off 87 was imperious for the most part. There were contributions from the likes of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul as well, who did not allow the run-rate to flag in the middle overs.

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WATCH the first India vs Sri Lanka ODI full replay

There were times at which India seemed like they could push for 400, but Sri Lanka’s bowlers didn’t fall apart completely – Kasun Rajitha (who took three wickets), and Chamika Karunaratne bowling decently at the death. Everyone’s figures were still a mess of course – Rajitha going for 88 from his 10, his opening partner Dilshan Madushanka going at over seven an over. It was not a particularly kind pitch for spinners. On top of which the outfield was rapid.Of all India’s outstanding innings, Gill’s was the purest, reliant as it was on his glorious timing, particularly through the off side. And it was the knock that first signalled a monster total was in the making. He creamed not-particularly-wide, not-particularly-short deliveries square through the offside in the early overs.By the end of the fifth, Gill had raced to 25 off 17, but then Rohit took over. In one particularly disheartening sequence for Sri Lanka, he walloped Rajitha for two sixes and a four – all using his famed pull shot, one of those sixes coming after he had charged the bowler. His was an increasingly dismissive innings.They raced to their fiftes, the spreading of the field and the arrival of serious spin barely tempering the pair’s scoring rate. The partnership was not without a little luck – both batters could have been out in their 40s, had the standing umpire given them out lbw (the reviews were denied because of umpire’s call).Dasun Shanaka smashed his second ODI century•BCCI

Kohli had some luck too, dropped once on 52, and another time on 81, Rajitha the bowler on both occasions. Otherwise, he blazed his way through the middle overs. He charged Shanaka to pound him through mid-on to fetch his first boundary, was brutal on errors of length from the spinners, and was strong down the ground against the quicks.He got to his half-century with a six over wide mid-on off Dhananjaya de Silva, having come down the track. By this stage, with roughly 35 overs bowled, he and Rahul were deep into a partnership that reaped 90 off 70 balls. Kohli scored especially heavily in the arc between mid-on and midwicket, but had shots everywhere, of course. When he got to his hundred off his 80th ball, India were already pushing 350.Thanks partly to Kohli not quite exploding in the death as he would have wished, however, India made only 70 runs in their last nine overs. At 303 for 3 after 41 overs, a total of 400 was conceivable.Despite Nissanka’s fetching offside boundaries in the Powerplay, Sri Lanka’s start was dismal. They never had the measure of this ultra-steep chase. Mohammed Siraj removed Avishka Fernando for 5, before bowling Kusal Mendis off the inside edge in his next over. India had been 75 for 0 at the end of the first powerplay. Sri Lanka were 38 for 2, their required rate already more than eight an over. When Charith Asalanka failed to review a wrong caught behind decision against Malik in the 14th over, Sri Lanka’s chances of winning seemed infinitesimal.There were those who tried to revive the chase though. De Silva and Nissanka put on 72 off 65 for the fourth wicket, de Silva hitting a pleasing 47 off 40. Nissanka’s 72 off 80 was probably a little slow given the circumstances, but will perhaps be a further stepping stone on the journey of his growth.But then Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 45, leaving Shanaka only in the company of the tail, and the whole enterprise became about getting Shanaka as big a score as possible, the victory having long since slipped. He took his sweet time getting in, making only 31 off his first 41 balls, striking just the single four and six in that period.Soon though, he started smashing it. He got to his 50 off 50 balls, then turning down many singles in order to give No. 10 Rajitha only the last two balls of most overs, he strode to a century off 87 deliveries, moving to triple-figures off the penultimate ball of the innings.