Everton has had success in the transfer market in recent seasons, with the club favouring younger players over big-name arrivals who are beyond their prime.
The Toffees have signed players such as James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite in recent years, with the latter reportedly set to join Manchester United for £75 million this summer.
Undoubtedly, Sean Dyche’s side would prefer to keep the brilliant 21-year-old, but given their current predicament with PSR, any deal would be excellent business after paying £1 million for the defender a little over four years ago.
Not all of the club’s business has been successful, as evidenced by the signing of Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who cost the club £25 million in 2019 before making only eight appearances.
However, another player purchased by the Toffees showed great promise before quickly slipping down the pecking order in recent seasons.
Mason Holgate’s stats at Everton
Mason Holgate, who joined Goodison Park for £2 million under Roberto Martinez in the summer of 2015, had to wait his turn before making an impression, despite having enormous potential to be a success at the club.
He had to wait a whole season before making his Premier League debut, with 18 appearances for the Toffees in 2016/17.
However, he would see a drop in game time over the next several seasons, as the English centre-back fell out of favour with managers Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva.
Holgate made only 20 league appearances over two seasons before being loaned out to Championship side West Brom for the second half of the 2018/19 season.
His short move to the West Midlands paved the way for a comeback at Goodison Park, where he made at least 25 Premier League appearances in three consecutive seasons between 2019 and 2022, scoring his first three goals for the club.
| Holgate’s PL stats at Everton since 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances | Minutes played |
| 2016/17 | 18 | 1,371 |
| 2017/18 | 15 | 1,182 |
| 2018/19 | 5 | 407 |
| 2019/20 | 27 | 2,053 |
| 2020/21 | 28 | 2,288 |
| 2021/22 | 25 | 2,134 |
| 2022/23 | 8 | 508 |
| Stats via Transfermarkt | ||
However, he would revert to being a part-time player for the 2022/23 season, with Holgate appearing only eight times before two fruitless loan moves away from the club during the current season.
He’s only been in the league 11 times between moves to Southampton and Sheffield United, and Holgate appears to be heading for relegation with the Blades at the end of May.
Mason Holgate’s wage in 2024
Nearly nine years after arriving at Goodison Park, the now 27-year-old earns a whopping £70,000 per week, according to Spotrac, an exorbitant sum given the defender’s lack of game time for the club.
His weekly income is more than double that of Garner, who makes only £30k per week despite his importance under Dyche over the last 18 months.
Given the club’s vulnerable position under the Premier League’s PSR and FFP rules, the Toffees should consider releasing Holgate, who still has one year left on his contract at Goodison when he returns from his term at Bramall Lane at the conclusion of the season.
He was a solid purchase in 2015, but he’s no longer up to Premier League standards, and Dyche’s team will need to cash in on him to prevent losing him for free in the summer of 2025.
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