Everton squad value belies long and winding road to the top

Let there be no debate - under Farhad Moshiri, Everton are a major player financially in world football. Romelu Lukaku sale or no, the Blues have been and will be throwing their weight around in the transfer market and in sponsorship deals.

Unfortunately, that newfound financial strength is yet to pay any real dividends on the pitch. A new study from the CIES Football Observatory serves to drive that point home. As of September 2017, here are the most valuable squads in the world:

via CIES

In truth, the table above is a little depressing. Below Everton are recent Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid, as well as recent Ligue 1 and UCL semi-finalists AS Monaco. Just ahead of the Blues are destroyer of worlds Bayern Munich.

Everton are nowhere near the teams mentioned in terms of...well, anything. However, they were always going to have to spend, and spend they have. It’s worth noting that clubs like Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are able to get cut price deals on transfer fees because they have a reputation - elite players want to go to the Calderon or the Allianz.

It’s somewhat unsettling that Everton are spending so much more than their contemporaries for worse results, but that may be the modus operandi until the Goodison Park club reaches a breakthrough - in the Premier League, or (more likely) in the Europa League.

The last few years have been a wild and windy night for Everton, but with any luck (and a little bit of Mr. Moshiri’s checkbook), the rain will wash all our troubles away.