When Everton brought Alex Iwobi to Merseyside on transfer deadline day in August 2019, it was a peculiar move.
Arsenal were losing a talent who had yet to really realise his potential for a mighty fee rising to £34m.
Unfortunately for Everton, it’s the Gunners who have undoubtedly got the better end of the deal here.
Iwobi has never been a potent finisher or creator and the Toffees have found that out the hard way since he penned terms at Goodison Park.
Nearly two years have passed since the Nigerian was signed but he’s scored just four goals in 62 outings. That means the winger has cost a whopping £8.5m per goal.
Iwobi has been a disastrous waste of money for Marcel Brands, providing only four assists after arriving two years ago.
The attacker has shown glimpses of how dangerous he can be this season but it says a lot that a few of his best performances have come as a wing-back, further away from the goal.
One of his best assets is his dribbling ability. For instance, this season Iwobi has completed 1.6 dribbles per game, beating defenders with pace and trickery on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, Everton are looking to conclude a deal for a very similar player.
TEAMtalk linked Carlo Ancelotti’s men with a move for Young Boys winger Moumi Ngamaleu this week.
They are reportedly battling Leeds, Brighton, Leicester and Rangers for the 26-year-old’s services.
He has been an important player for the Swiss side in recent years but like Iwobi, has struggled for consistency and to realise his potential.
Ngamaleu has 32 goals in 166 outings for Young Boys, something that demonstrates his inconsistent nature in front of goal.
He has scored just three times this term, two of which have come across 26 league outings. That’s a shoddy tally for a player with such exciting qualities.
His manager, Gerardo Seoane, said at the start of this season: “Looking at his speed and technical aspects of the game plus offensive skills one can only see a bright future.”
Seoane added: “He brings joy to the team, he is a very humble person, always available for work, he is a player I like working with. He has a big future. He has everything to be successful here and in most other championship. As a person he is so humble.”
The Cameroon international may have pace and trickery like Iwobi, but on a similar level, he struggles to score goals frequently.
On that evidence, he wouldn’t be a worthwhile investment this summer. Brands needs to focus Everton's attention elsewhere.