Everton used the loan market somewhat sparingly last season, bringing in wingers Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison – both intended to augment the attack. The two experienced very different stays. That the club failed to utilize all their loan options suggested a lack of available capacity to pay wages and any fees, which would all become clear by season’s end.
The senior players sent out to find football elsewhere, on a temporary basis, were Mason Holgate, who showed up at Championship side Southampton, followed by a move to Sheffield United in January and Neal Maupay, who joined old club Brentford. It’s fair to say the defender didn’t exactly enhance his prospects of finding a permanent move this summer, though the Frenchman was more successful.
Jack Harrison
Signed from Leeds United, Harrison was made available due to a clause in his existing contract, which enabled him to leave on loan should the club be relegated. The winger was coming off three straight Premier League seasons with the West Yorkshire outfit, during which he’d scored a combined 21 goals and contributed 16 assists — solid numbers. He’d racked up a total of 107 league appearances, with 100 starts, demonstrating durability, which is something it’s known Sean Dyche values highly.
Given his availability and Everton lack of funds, a move for the 26-year-old was a no-brainer. The team’s wide options had been decimated over the previous six months, which saw Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray and Alex Iwobi leave and Harrison provided flexibility, being able to operate on either flank, as well as in a central attacking role. A concern was that in his two most prolific campaigns at Leeds, he’d played predominantly off the left, a place Dwight McNeil had nailed down at the Blues.
