Everton's £40 Million Spending Spree: McNeil and Mykolenko Symbolize Transfer Failures

Everton is once again under scrutiny after splurging significant funds on players who failed to meet expectations. This time, left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko is the main focus. Since being brought in from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2022 for approximately £18 million, the Ukrainian player has cost the club a total of £37 million, including wages. However, his on-field contributions have been far from commensurate.

Mykolenko has made 165 appearances for The Toffees, but has only scored nine goals and assists—a ratio of one goal contribution every 18 matches. More alarmingly, his defensive performance at the start of the 2026/27 season shows a decline. Premier League data indicates he was dribbled past 1.3 times per 90 minutes, a figure worse than 85% of other defenders. He also only regained possession 0.5 times per 90 minutes, placing him below 70% of full-backs in the league.

Mykolenko's case is not an isolated one. Previously, Dwight McNeil also served as a poor example of Everton's signings. Brought in from Burnley in 2022 for £30 million, McNeil only scored 15 goals in 130 appearances. Crucially, he failed to score a single goal in the 2025/26 season. Nevertheless, he often started under David Moyes. Ultimately, McNeil was sold to Crystal Palace last summer in a swap deal involving Brennan Johnson. However, that decision was considered too late as his market value had already plummeted.

"Everton held onto players who were no longer at the required level for too long," said an English football pundit.

These transfer failures have directly impacted Everton's ambition to return to European competition. The club has long been absent from the European stage, and last season had a chance to finish in the top half, but a run of seven winless matches at the end of the season thwarted that goal. Fan disappointment peaked, especially after the move to the magnificent Hill Dickinson Stadium.

For football fans in Indonesia, Everton's story serves as a valuable lesson on the importance of regular transfer evaluations. Indonesian Liga clubs like Persija, Persib, or Bali United also frequently fall into the trap of buying expensive players with disappointing performances. Slow decision-making by management can drain budgets and hinder achievements. Everton serves as a mirror, showing that excessive loyalty to declining players ultimately harms the club.

Moving forward, Everton must quickly make improvements. With a squad still in need of new ammunition, they need to recruit players who can truly bring about change. Otherwise, it's not impossible that The Toffees will continue to struggle in mid-table and drift further away from Europe. Will management learn from these mistakes, or will they repeat the same pattern?