Everton have splashed the cash on a number of players over the years, many of which have failed to star on Merseyside. However, the Toffees have also brought in some big fees and have sold to the Premier League’s best.
But who is the club’s record departure? Here is a look at Everton’s most expensive sales in their history, with the help of news reports and Transfermarkt, detailing the top 10.
1
Romelu Lukaku
£75m
Man Utd
2017
2
Richarlison
£60m
Tottenham
2022
3
Amadou Onana
£50m
Aston Villa
2024
4
John Stones
£47.5m
Man City
2016
5
Anthony Gordon
£45m
Newcastle
2023
6
Idrissa Gueye
£30m
PSG
2019
7
Marouane Fellaini
£27.5m
Man Utd
2013
8
Wayne Rooney
£27m
Man Utd
2004
=9
Moise Kean
£25m
Juventus
2023
=9
Lucas Digne
£25m
Aston Villa
2022
11
Ademola Lookman
£22.5m
RB Leipzig
2019
=12
Alex Iwobi
£22m
Fulham
2023
=12
Joleon Lescott
£22m
Man City
2009
14
Ross Barkley
£15m
Chelsea
2018
15
Nikola Vlasic
£14m
CSKA Moscow
2019
=16
Henry Onyekuru
£12m
Monaco
2019
=16
Davy Klaassen
£12m
Werder Bremen
2018
=16
Jack Rodwell
£12m
Man City
2012
19
Gerard Deulofeu
£10.6m
Barcelona
2017
20
Andy Johnson
£10.5m
Fulham
2008
Here's a detailed look at Everton's top 10 sales… 10 Lucas Digne £25m to Aston Villa, 2022
Everton gave left-back Lucas Digne his first taste of English football back in 2018 after signing him from Barcelona.
The Frenchman made more than 100 appearances for the Toffees in a three-and-a-half-year stay before the club cashed in and made a profit in his move to Aston Villa, with their Premier League rivals forking out £25m.
9 Moise Kean £25m to Juventus, 2023
Forward Moise Kean was brought to Everton from Juventus in 2019 as a teenager and struggled to adjust to life in England.
The Italian scored a handful of goals for the Toffees and was loaned out to PSG and Juventus, with a permanent return materialising in 2023 with Everton somehow making a small profit with a £25m sale.
8 Wayne Rooney £27m to Man Utd, 2004
Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene in 2002 as an Everton star, breaking numerous records before being sold to Manchester United in 2004 for £27m.
The forward would go on to become Man Utd’s record scorer, winning multiple honours under Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney returned to Everton in 2017 as he ended his Premier League career where he started.
7 Marouane Fellaini £27.5m to Man Utd, 2013
Everton won the race to sign Marouane Fellaini from Standard Liege in 2008, and the transfer proved to be an excellent piece of business, with the Belgian’s physical presence proving an instant hit in the Premier League.
Fellaini then reunited with David Moyes at Man Utd in 2013 for a big fee, as the Toffees managed to negotiate a £27.5m departure at the back end of that transfer window.
6 Idrissa Gueye £30m to PSG, 2019
Central midfielder Idrissa Gueye first joined Everton in 2016 from Aston Villa, and the Toffees made a huge profit when PSG came calling in 2019, signing the Senegal star for around £30m.
Gueye returned to Everton from PSG three years later for a bargain fee, so this one can be looked back on as a successful piece of business.
5 Anthony Gordon £45m to Newcastle, 2023
Academy graduate Anthony Gordon’s Everton exit didn’t go down too well with the Toffees faithful in 2023, but the club did bring in an eye-catching fee.
Gordon helped Everton remain in the Premier League in 2022, but six months later, he sealed a £45m move to St James’ Park halfway through the 2022/23 campaign.
4 John Stones £47.5m to Man City, 2016
Everton struck gold with John Stones after signing him from Barnsley back in 2013.
Stones would go on to become a regular for the Toffees, which caught the eye of Manchester City, who paid more than 10 times the amount Everton did to sign him in 2016, with his eventual price tag totalling £47.5m.
3 Amadou Onana £50m to Aston Villa, 2024
Central midfielder Amadou Onana only spent two seasons in a struggling Everton side, but he made enough of an impact for Aston Villa to splash £50m on him in 2024.
Onana has since gone on to play in the Champions League for Villa, with his Everton appearance tally only reaching 72. His move nevertheless points to some decent scouting from the Toffees recruitment team.
2 Richarlison £60m to Tottenham, 2022
A fan favourite during his four-year stay at Everton, Richarlison swapped the Toffees for Tottenham in 2022.
The Brazilian forward made more than 150 appearances in a blue shirt and Everton also made a tidy profit on their former star when selling to Spurs, with the Lilywhites shelling out £60m for the forward.
1 Romelu Lukaku £75m to Man Utd, 2017
Comfortably top of the list as Everton’s record sale is Romelu Lukaku, who starred at Goodison Park between 2013 and 2017.
The Belgian first moved to Merseyside on loan from Chelsea before sealing a then-record permanent transfer. Lukaku scored goals on a regular basis for the Toffees which resulted in Man Utd and Jose Mourinho splashing the cash.
He moved to Old Trafford in a move which could have reached £90m, but given his time at United failed to hit the heights expected, the deal’s initial fee of £75m is most likely the more accurate sum.
