Everton struck gold on monster star

Whilst Everton have been fighting against the drop for many a Premier League season now, that does not mean Goodison Park hasn’t been home to some exceptional talents in recent memory.

Even this campaign has seen the likes of Iliman Ndiaye strut their stuff when times have been tough, with the now-injured ex-Sheffield United trickster up to six goals in Premier League action when not sidelined.

There’s also a resurgent Beto among other standout faces, but heading back into the past away from David Moyes‘ revitalised troops, there have been many notable occasions where the Toffees have hit gold on a player that has then departed for mega millions.

The most notable sales during the Goodison Park era

Beto might well be showing off his lethal edge now with five strikes from his last four top-flight contests, but the Merseyside outfit have been blessed with a whole host of exciting centre-forwards in recent times.

Indeed, the most notable of the bunch is Romelu Lukaku who is still an adored figure at Goodison Park to this day, with his deadly record of 87 strikes from 167 appearances leading to Manchester United forking out a whopping fee in and around the £75m mark back in 2017.

Richarlison would also gift Everton £60m when Tottenham Hotspur came calling five years, with the Brazilian another revered figure in Toffees history by chipping in with 53 goals of his own.

Away from some standout names from yesteryear, Amadou Onana would leave the building just last summer for £50m, having only been present at Goodison for two full campaigns.

There is another face in Moyes’ current camp that is being speculated to leave for even more than Lukaku’s record-breaking £75m, despite costing the Toffees very minimal to originally pick up during Carlo Ancelotti’s reign.

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The Everton star who could be sold for a record fee

Whilst most of the talk above focuses on the headline-grabbing attackers Everton have had at their disposal, one of the main stars in the here and now that could make the Merseyside outfit some significant cash is a defender.

Of course, that is Jarrad Branthwaite, who is still being linked with many an audacious move from Moyes’ men, with his former boss Ancelotti even reportedly eyeing him up now at the helm of Spanish force Real Madrid. According to reports it’s a move that could cost a mega £80m.

The much celebrated Italian gifted him chances here and there when still positioned in the Toffees dug-out, but the ex-Carlisle United centre-back – who cost Marcel Brands just £1m to obtain in January 2020 – very much came into his own last campaign, even as his team fought against relegation.

From 36 top-flight clashes in 2023/24, the towering presence at the back would put his lofty frame to good use with three goals, whilst also bravely winning 5.3 duels per clash to keep teams out and to ensure his side didn’t fall victim to too many demoralising losses to make relegation an actual grim reality.

The first couple of seasons were shaky for the one-time England international – based on the table above – but he has never looked back after a formative loan stint out to PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/23 campaign, with his value skyrocketing to £34m come the close of the following season back in England.

Now, the “monster” defender – as he’s been labelled by scout Jacek Kulig in the past – is shining bright under Moyes’ wing, with his showing last time out against Manchester United, who are known to be admirers of the brute, seeing him win all but one of his sizeable eight duels.

Branthwaite could well find his name amongst Everton’s record sales soon, with the potential for him to be sold around this astronomical £80m ballpark – which is a mammoth 7900% increase from his modest £1m price-tag – if Moyes and Co continue their upward trajectory in the Premier League.

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