Gone are the days when you can solely rely on limited funds and a bunch of academy products to win you the league title or finish the season in the top half of the table. With the exorbitant amounts top Premier League clubs are spending to uphold their dominance over the rest of the English sides, it is becoming harder and harder for teams to survive in top-flight English football.
Judging by the seasons Stoke City and West Brom are currently witnessing – two clubs who have stayed in the league for the past decade, one can make out the impact the transfer market has towards the club’s future.
Everton have accepted the current climate they are residing in and by the look of things have already got the ball rolling.They entered the summer transfer window season with an ambition to bolster the club ranks which will match strides with the elites. They have so far spent £182.2m this season and have made a few star signings in Gylfi Sigurdsson, Theo Walcott, Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford and Cenk Tosun.
The list does not end there and Sam Allardyce is willing to use the last few days of the January window to sign another player. However, from a distance fans and critics alike will have to agree that the return on their investments this season has been less than ideal. The club is way off the European qualification spots and have only managed a measly 28 points in 24 games stretching their winless run to 6 games in the league.
A cause for concern? Yes. But not the end of the world. Every club faces a transitional period when a plethora of new talents make their way into the ranks and without an established management things often take the sour turn. Leeds United’s history is a testament to the sour direction a club takes when heavy investments are not backed up by results. The Whites got relegated from the Premier League in 2004 after the club’s debt reached the £100m mark.
Now that Everton has been linked with Marcel Brands, the Toffees can be reassured of a brighter future. The highly rated technical director will be able to take over the transfer procedures and work alongside Allardyce to make way for the required additions.
A few big names are currently stacked with huge wage bills and they can be offloaded to make way for the new. Sandro Ramirez has struggled to find his feet in the English game while Davy Klassen can be ruled out as a flop. The former England boss has all the resources at his disposal and if he does end up staying for the entirety of his contract, the Toffees hold great promise towards their future endeavours.
