Farhad Moshiri may have wasted another £15m as Everton striker Neal Maupay’s agent speaks out on his future
Everton striker Neal Maupay could be set to leave Goodison Park this summer after his agent disclosed that he would be open to a move to Serie A, and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri may well have just wasted more money.
The Toffees signed the Frenchman from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer for £15m [BBC Sport, 26 August] but the forward has massively struggled to set his Everton career alight so far this season, just registering a single goal from his 21 games in all competitions.
Maupay has fallen well down the pecking order under Sean Dyche’s management with the former Burnley boss favouring both Demarai Gray and Ellis Simms over him in the Toffees XI.
The 26-year-old’s agent, Federico Pastorello, has admitted that Salernitana previously wanted to sign the Toffees striker, and he was expecting further offers from Italy in the summer.
Taking to Twitter (Tuesday, 21 March), transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano wrote: “Neal Maupay could leave Everton at the end of the season.
“His agent Pastorello: ‘Salernitana wanted him, Everton got the deal done in January then changed the coach: we’ll see in June,’ told TMW.
“‘Probably there could be options in Serie A, Neal is open to joining Italy.’”
The goal-shy Toffees ace has looked like a shadow of his former self at Brighton and Hove Albion whom he left to join the Toffees last summer and hasn’t found the back of the net since scoring the winner in the 1-0 win over West Ham in September.
Journalist Richard Buxton took to Twitter on Tuesday night [21 March] to express his dismay at such another “woeful piece of business by the much-maligned Toffees board.
The Frenchman was often regarded as a clinical frontman during his time at Amex Stadium but has failed to translate that for the Goodison Park faithful shirking under the weight of pressure that so many in the past have failed in.
Everton have been guilty of some terrible attacking recruitment in the past on players such as Moise Kean, Cenk Tosun, Sandro and Henry Onyekeru who altogether cost over £60 and it now seems as if Moshiri has wasted yet another £15m with the striker reportedly set to depart this summer, according to his agent.
If the club do avoid relegation to the Championship, a major overhaul is needed in the summer, and it must start with the likes of Maupay.
He simply does not have the required quality to lead the line for the club beyond this season, and if a Serie A outfit or any side for that matter comes close to matching the fee the Blues paid last summer for him then Everton must be quick to accept it.
It is yet another failed Goodison transfer, at a period when the club desperately needed to improve their business and recruitment in the market. With the club set to undergo another stark rebuild this summer, the Toffees simply cannot be trusted to finally set the transfer record straight after past mistakes.