Joe Ellis

Tue 4 January 2022 17:40, UK

Everton has now spent over £30million in January after just four days of the month with Nathan Patterson joining Vitaliy Mykolenko at Goodison Park.

The 20-year-old joined the Merseyside club from Rangers on Tuesday and experts on both sides of the border have been debating the move.

Sky Sports journalist Ben Grounds is the latest to have his say on the right-back’s arrival as the Toffees’ look to salvage their 2021-22 season.

“New year, same old problems,” Grounds said on Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, “On the pitch, Everton have been uninspiring but off it, they are making up for lost time.

“The signing of Patterson, four days on from confirming the capture of Mykolenko means the club have already forked out around £30m on two full-backs.

“Everton have invested in potential.”

Reason for Optimism

Grounds is not wrong when he says Everton have been uninspiring on the pitch this season, they wouldn’t be down in 15th in the Premier League, nervously looking over their shoulder, if they were.

Their dismal display at home to Brighton and Hove Albion summarised the Toffees’ season so far as a missed penalty and poor defending saw Seagulls put three past the Everton defence.

They left their fightback too late once again as Anthony Gordon’s brace couldn’t salvage anything for Rafael Benitez, who is causing further unrest at Goodison Park.

Even a five-man defence with four in front couldn’t help the struggling Everton backline but Patterson and Mykolenko might just add some fresh impetus to the team.

Benitez will be hoping the two exciting young full-backs can come in and make a difference straight away as the team’s below them are too close for comfort for most fans.

Both players are available for the Toffees’ trip to Hull City in the FA Cup where they will be desperate to find some confidence and form to redirect their season.

In other Everton news, David Prentice was full of praise for this starlet after overcoming “unforgiving” challenges.