Everton have endured a rough start to the season under Sean Dyche, with the former Burnley boss still struggling to uncover his strongest side and the best philosophy with which to play them.
Given the distinct lack of quality he has at his disposal, this is a task far harder than the other relegation-threatened outfits, who at the very least have a set play style to which they can adhere.
The Toffees have been without an identity for years now, with Frank Lampard failing to bring one back, Carlo Ancelotti leaving before he could properly integrate his, and Ronald Koeman, Marco Silva and Sam Allardyce all messing things up in between. It is years of questionable decision-making from the top that has led them into their current position of peril, and only with a minor miracle will they continue to survive.
Their latest 52-year-old head coach has one of the toughest tasks of his career ahead of him, to steer a rudderless ship to safety with their shiny new stadium on the horizon. It is widely believed that retaining their Premier League status until their entry into the Bramley-Moore Dock arena is of paramount importance towards keeping the seismic club afloat.
However, their dwindling finances are the result of years of fiscal mismanagement, spending freely and without thought on players and managers without a plan in place. Farhad Moshiri may be desperately trying to sell the Toffees now, but much of the blood will forever remain on his hands, alongside his much-maligned accomplice Bill Kenwright.
Who is Everton's worst-ever signing?
Whilst some of the club's worst-ever acquisitions may have come before the Iranian billionaire got involved, it is indisputable that some of the biggest financial outlays have come under his watch, with nine of the top ten record signings brought in with his money.
Adorning that list is a group of players who have largely disappointed, with one or two outstanding exceptions. Richarlison and Romelu Lukaku were immediate successes, with their goals vital, and the funds their sales would rack in proving imperative too. Amadou Onana is another who has enjoyed a fine start, and boasts a valuation that could one day turn a huge profit.
However, the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Michael Keane, Alex Iwobi and Moise Kean are all stars who joined with big reputations but failed to live up to the expectations.
And yet, there are even signings outside of that list that have arguably proven even worse value for money, given the fee expended and the output they would return.
Few stand out more than Davy Klaassen in this regard, as someone who hardly cost a ridiculous amount, but must be recognised as one of their worst pound-for-pound signings.
1
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City)
Ronald Koeman
2
Richarlison (Watford)
Marco Silva
3
Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Roberto Martinez
4
Amadou Onana (LOSC Lille)
Frank Lampard
5
Alex Iwobi (Arsenal)
Marco Silva
After all, the Dutchman joined during a summer of vast overhaul under Ronald Koeman, who had just led his new side to seventh in his debut year. Financial backing was expected, but his tactical ideals remained muddled going into the new campaign. He would therefore bring in the midfielder alongside Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson, thus drowning out the number ten position with three superstars all vying for the spot.
As such, the club record signing and a former club legend took precedence, and the former Ajax captain would make a mere 16 appearances across his torrid tenure on Merseyside, failing to score.
Such a vast underperformance was always bound to draw criticism, with former QPR midfielder Joey Barton branding him "a complete dud". A fair comment, given the high expectations placed upon him when Netherlands and Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff likened him to Tony Kroos.
In an interview back in 2022, the disappointing midfielder would blame the tactics as one reason for his underperformance: "At Everton, I really suffered from culture shock. If it’s not going well there, they hoof the ball forward."
Although they hardly expended a king's ransom to tempt him to Goodison Park, Klaassen certainly failed to live up to the billing, thus marking him out as one of Moshiri's worst buys.
How much did Everton pay for Davy Klaassen?
Such a notion is only exacerbated when viewing the financial side of the deal, which did leave a mark during a summer where they would spend a total of €158.2m (£137m).
Whilst his £23.6m fee was just a drop in the ocean of that vast overhaul, it has certainly contributed to the growing financial worries that continue to mount on the club with each passing year.
Such huge risks cannot afford to backfire as often as they have done, and as such the Toffees are seemingly constantly seeking the next big sale to balance the books.
What was Davy Klaassen's salary at Everton?
Although Klaassen would only spend a sole year in Merseyside, adding his salary onto that transfer fee only emphasises the fiscal drain the 41-cap flop posed.
After all, his £70k-per-week wage was ludicrous when compared to what he offered, but at the time it actually marked a fair price for someone who had stood out in his homeland.
Therefore, this figure added a further £3.6m to the total sum, bringing that up to £27.4m. Then, comparing that with the appearances the 30-year-old mustered, and Koeman's costly purchase actually ended up commanding £1.7m for every appearance he made.
Did Davy Klaassen deserve to earn £70k-per-week?
Whilst it marked crazy demands in hindsight, beforehand this entire deal actually seemed rather shrewd.
After all, the hard-working midfielder was coming off the back of a fine creative year in his homeland, having scored 14 and assisted ten in the Eredivisie, whilst also helping captain his side to the Europa League final.
Koeman would even gloat about the magnitude of such a capture, noting after his signing: "Davy has made this step in his career at the right time. He spent four seasons with Ajax and gained experiences in Europe and with the Dutch team. He will have to get used to the high tempo we play and it will tougher for him, especially from a physical point of view, but Davy has developed well as a player. He is intelligent and can read the game.”
Naturally, that failed to come to fruition, and after just one year he would trade Goodison Park for Werder Bremen. There he actually recaptured some semblance of his form before returning to Ajax in 2020. He now plays his football at Inter Milan, once again trying his hand outside of the Netherlands.