Paul Merson admits ‘Shock’ at Everton £22m sale of Alex Iwobi to Fulham
Paul Merson has admitted that he was shocked to see Everton sell Alex Iwobi to Fulham on transfer deadline day in a £22m deal.
The Toffees sold the Nigeria international to Premier League rivals Fulham in a deal worth £22m including add-ons, after the player told the club he wouldn’t be renewing his contract at the club beyond next summer.
But Merson, speaking on Soccer Saturday (2 September), believes Everton should have kept him and risked losing him for free next summer because he was so important to the them.
“Everton were poor last season but he was the best of a poor bunch,” he said.
“Everton can’t go into the new stadium in the Championship. He was out of contract next summer, but it was worth letting him go at the end for the season for nothing.
“That was a shock.”
No way
Merson is known for his hot takes when it comes to the big topics in football, and this is another one that is going to get attention.
Considering the financial situation that Everton are currently in, there was no way we could walk away from a £22m deal for a player who potentially wasn’t even in Sean Dyche’s strongest starting lineup after our summer business.
Iwobi was one of our better performers over recent seasons but the fact we finished just above the relegation zone both times tells you a lot, and we need people at the club who are committed to the cause.
If he wanted to go elsewhere then it’s best to let him go, take the money and use that to reinvest elsewhere either off the pitch or in the January window.
Most fans will agree that the club made the right decision in this instance to let him go, even if it was a bit late in the day, but now we need to see how they use that money to ensure that it’s not wasted.
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