Everton suffered an ignominious end to their January transfer window, with the Premier League outfit the only side in the division to fail to complete a winter signing, despite their perilous position…
What’s the word?
Having sold Anthony Gordon to divisional rivals Newcastle United days prior in a £45m deal, relegation-threatened Everton desperately needed to bolster the frontline and stave off the all-engulfing threat that the drop-zone creates.
A chaotic deadline day bore no fruit for the struggling Merseyside outfit, who failed to land a single signing despite desperate attempts to forge a mover, with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr indeed among those targeted.
According to The Athletic, the Hornets rejected a late £2m loan bid for the gem on deadline day, with an obligation to purchase the Senegalese whiz for £30m if the side secured top-flight status for next season, but the 24-year-old was not granted a departure.
Dream Gordon heir
Should Everton have been more opportune in their pursuit, and instigated negotiations at an earlier date, then they might have found success in their intrigue, but with the late lunge, Watford were only ever going to rebuff the interest in one of their most coveted assets with scarce time to sign a replacement amid a promotion push.
With the African winger one of the most exciting wingers the Championship has to offer, Everton would have greatly benefitted from his dynamic, multi-faceted arsenal.
Indeed, with one scout report illustrating the cutting-edge, incisive inversions and fantastic blend of support and direct firepower, Toffees boss Sean Dyche will rue owner Farhad Moshiri for failing to be diligent enough to prise him back to the Premier League.
As per Sofascore, Sarr has recorded an average match rating of 6.93 this term, plundering seven goals and five assists and complementing his direct contributions with an impressive 2.2 shots and one key pass per match, also exhibiting his ball-playing precision with an 81% pass success rate.
And with Gordon only mustering an average rating of 6.74, albeit in the Premier League and in a relegation dogfight, there is an indication that the ace would thrive in the Liverpudlian’s stead.
Lauded as “electric” by journalist Rob Blanchette, Sarr is a forward option with a demonstrated aptitude with an outfit that has fluctuated in fortunes, and by jumping ship and looking to take the reins in the scrap to secure survival at Goodison Park, Everton and Dyche might have found success with a transfer.
With such an avenue now cordoned off and with no means of salvaging, Everton must face the ominous period ahead of them without Sarr’s inclusion, and they might indeed cast a rueful gaze back at their January bid come the end of the Premier League season.