Everton's 10 highest earners have been ranked from 'waste of money' to 'underpaid' | OneFootball

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It has been a rough ride for Everton in recent years. One of the few clubs to have never been relegated from England's top-flight, the Toffees have found themselves in the bottom half of the table in three of the last few seasons. Their 17th-place finish last campaign was the lowest they have achieved since 2004, and current boss Sean Dyche has a lot of work to do if he wants to keep the club up.

Despite their misfortunes on the pitch, there is some serious spending on the squad. According to the experts at Spotrac, there are six players earning in excess of six figures a week at the club.

We will rank the top 10 earners at Goodison Park and assess whether they warrant the money they are earning with their performances on the pitch. Players will be placed in one of five categories, ranging from "waste of money" all the way down to "underpaid".

Everton's top ten earners

Shockingly, Andre Gomes is currently Everton's top earner despite being far removed from the first team picture, costing the club nearly £6m per year. He spent last term on loan at Lille, which would have saved the club some money, but he remains on the books for this season.

Note that Spotrac's data doesn't include summer signings Ashley Young, Arnaut Danjuma, Youssef Chermiti, Jack Harrison and Beto - although it would be too soon to judge them on their value anyway.

Waste of Money - Andre Gomes, Dele Alli

Starting with Everton's two top earners, Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes joined on a permanent deal from Barcelona in 2019. Coming with a wealth of experience from one of Spain's biggest teams, the man who helped Portugal win the European Championship in 2016 was expected to revolutionize the Toffees' midfield.

Following a successful loan spell the year before, manager Marco Silva was hopeful of making the player a part of his future plans, saying "We are happy with him, he is enjoying the moment here and I don't think it is a good moment to talk every week because it's better they (Barcelona) forget a little bit about Andre!". Although Silva got his wish, Gomes' Everton career was marred by a horrible leg break in 2019.

He wasn't the same player after this. He last featured in the Premier League in 2022 and managed only two full 90-minute games that season. He spent the last campaign on loan at Lille and hasn't featured for the Merseyside club this season.

In the case of Dele Alli, his move to Everton was seen as an opportunity to reshape his career. He was tipped for greatness during his early years at Tottenham, receiving praise from some of the highest authorities. Sir Alex Ferguson once said he thought Alli was going to rise to the top, explaining "I thought Dele Alli was going to be a top player, I must admit. I don't know what's happened there."

Most people share this sentiment. There was hope that his move to Everton, potentially worth £40m, would be his saving grace. He recently had his loan deal terminated at Besiktas, and revealed his struggles on and off the pitch in a brave and courageous

Overpaid - James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin

A trio of England internationals fall into the overpaid category. Both Tarkowski and Calvert-Lewin earn £100k-per-week. Keane is a little lower at £80k-per-week. The defenders were a staple of Everton's defense that conceded 57 goals in the league last season. This played a key part in the side's struggles, and although they managed to avoid relegation, a marked improvement at the back will be needed in order to secure survival again.

As for Calvert-Lewin, the 6-foot-2 striker is Everton's primary goalscorer when fit. The key word being when.

Throughout his career, DCL has missed over 500 days through injury. His inability to be available means that the club can't rely on him, making him a very expensive part of the treatment room.

Paid what they deserve - Idrissa Gueye, Vitalii Mykolenko

Ukrainian full-back Mykolenko played his first full season for the club last season and was ever-present, making 34 appearances. At times, the 24-year-old hasn't covered himself in glory. Everton expert Patric Ridge labelled him as "painfully bad" after a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal last season.

However, given the difficulties with some of the players' family members being involved in the political struggles in Ukraine, it is easy to understand why Mykolenko may have been off his game from time to time.

As for Gueye, the tireless midfielder made his return for his second spell at the club. During his first spell, Gueye ranked first for midfielders at the club in tackles per game (four) and interceptions (two). He managed to impress enough during his first spell to earn a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Upon returning, Gueye recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.9 in the league, recording 2.9 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, ranking first in the entire team. A dependable but unspectacular influence.

Value for money - Ben Godfrey, Amadou Onana

The two youngest players in the top ten earners, Godfrey and Onana, earn £77k-per-week and £100k-per-week respectively. The English defender has made 79 appearances for the Toffees since his £20m arrival.

He has impressed fans on multiple occasions with his performances, with one fan saying "Ben Godfrey is the pinnacle of what we should be looking at when signing players" after one game.

Onana on the other hand is a newer face at Everton, but impressed during his first season at the club. With an 84% pass accuracy and a tackle success rate of 85%, Onana has proved his worth at either end of the pitch. His performances have led to speculation of a move, with Manchester United reportedly being interested in his services.

Underpaid - Jordan Pickford

England's no.1 has been Everton's first choice since his £30m transfer in 2017. Pickford's 62 clean sheets in Everton colours have played a big part in Everton's survival in recent seasons. He has been named the club's player of the season for the last two campaigns.

Alongside his England heroics, Pickford's importance for the Toffees cannot be underpinned. Not just with clean sheets, but also in possession, as Pickford has contributed 30.8 passes per match for Everton. A modern-day goalkeeper that Everton are unlikely to improve upon in their current situation, Pickford is someone who has to remain part of Everton's plan for the foreseeable future.

both paid more at West Ham and Aston Villa respectively.