Everton rake in over £130m as Kevin Thelwell finally gets financial ball rolling for Farhad Moshiri
For all the anger directed at the Everton board, not many fans have really taken aim at director of football Kevin Thelwell for his role in the club’s struggles.
Thelwell, 49, has only been at Goodison Park for the last 12 months or so after the departure of Marcel Brands.
We’re yet to really see the full impact of his leadership but early signs have been fairly promising.
Thelwell’s biggest task is no doubt to improve the quality of the Everton first-team squad while also paying close attention to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
In the summer, Thelwell oversaw the exits of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Fabian Delph and Jonjoe Kenny as their contracts expired while Richarlison was also sold to Tottenham for £60million.
Allan, Salomon Rondon and Eldin Jakupovic also left Goodison Park before a £45million deal with Newcastle was agreed for Anthony Gordon in January.
And now, Juventus have sealed their £25million permanent signing of Moise Kean.
While that deal was, as reported by BBC Sport on 9 March, agreed back in August 2021 when Brands was at Goodison, it’s clear to see that Thelwell is keeping Everton on an even keel financially.
It’s not exactly a thankless job for him as director of football – but it’s very difficult one.
To be able to manage the delicate FFP situation and maintain a squad capable of Premier League survival is very hard because not many top-flight clubs have ever had to do that in England.
Over £130million of player sales have now been finalised under Thelwell’s watch and that bodes very well going into next season and beyond – provided the Blues remain a Premier League club.
If we go down, the blockbuster player sale figure will need to be further bulked up to make up for the shortfall of dropping into the Championship.
Either way, Thelwell is keeping the ball rolling for controversial owner Farhad Moshiri.
Thelwell seems to be the most level-headed DoF we’ve had under Moshiri’s reign as owner with all of his signings, bar the odd exception, making perfect sense.
Sure, he could do better. But in the situation Everton are in, he’s one man on the board who we can give a pass to.