In recent years, Everton’s greatest transfer successes haven’t been from splashing big money on star signings, but instead from buying relatively cheap young players who will be worth several times what was spent on them within a few years.
The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Jarrad Branthwaite are great examples of this in the first-team.
The Toffees’ boss Sean Dyche is reportedly keen to follow a similar transfer model this month and is eyeing up one of the Championship’s most talented youngsters.
Everton transfer news – Tom Fellows
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Everton are monitoring West Bromwich Albion’s attacking starlet Tom Fellows, who is out of contract in June. Romano is claiming that the prospective owner, 777 Partners, like the player and will look to make a move for his services before sending him back out on loan.
West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan handed the 20-year-old back-to-back starts in the Baggies’ last two matches for the first time this season and the youngster rewarded his manager’s faith by scoring his first goal of the season on Sunday as the Midlands club ran riot over non-league Aldershot Town.
Everton boss Dyche seems keen to add quality to his flanks this season, particularly over on the right, where Fellows prefers to play. The Merseyside outfit have also been linked with a move for Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto, although the Italian attacker reportedly has a price tag of £30m on his head, while Fellows has a market value of just £516k – as per Transfermarkt.
Tom Fellows' stats this season
Incidentally, in a recent interview, former Baggies boss Steve Bruce predicted Fellows' rise at The Hawthorns, describing him as someone with "so much ability" and claiming that he would be a regular in the starting lineup by the end of the campaign.
Overall, Fellows has made 17 appearances for the Baggies this season, but has played just 502 minutes overall which comes to 29.5 minutes per game. Nevertheless, two starts from two could be a sign that Corberan believes Fellows can be more than a squad player.
Fellows is a right-winger, or right-midfielder depending on the formation. However, the ex-Crawley Town loanee has played in ten different positions throughout his career so far, dating back to the 2018/19 campaign with West Brom's U18s side.
Position
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Right Midfield
27
10
6
Right Wing
19
1
2
Left Midfield
8
0
2
Left Wing
6
1
3
Left-Back
5
1
0
Right-Back
5
0
1
Attacking Midfield
3
0
0
Centre-Forward
2
0
0
Central Midfield
1
0
0
Defensive Midfield
1
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
Furthermore, the West Brom academy product has been slightly more prolific this season than Gnonto. The Leeds star has the same number of goals and assists as Fellows, with one apiece, but has played 884 minutes in total and has made 22 appearances in all competitions, which is far more than his counterpart.
Fellows would suit the Premier League club much more than Gnonto based on the team's performances this season. Gnonto is primarily a left-winger or a centre-forward, while Fellows' preferred position is on the right – which is a weak area for the Toffees. Fellows has also been outperforming Gnonto statistically this season.
Goals
0.19
0.1
Expected Goals
0.01
0.05
Assists
0.19
0.1
Expected Assists
0.3
0.19
Progressive Carries
7.25
6.2
Crosses
6.15
4.02
Crosses To Penalty Area
1.75
0.38
Key Passes
1.75
0.76
Passes To Penalty Area
2.5
1.77
Stats via FBref
As of now, Everton's right flank could be up for grabs. Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma have rotated the right-wing spot in the 2023/24 campaign, but the duo have managed to score just four goals and record merely three assists between them.
Additionally, both Danjuma and Harrison are only at Goodison Park on a loan basis, meaning they will be heading back to their parent clubs this summer. If Everton sign Fellows and send him back out on loan, the Englishman could be ready to return in six months and stake his claim to be Dyche's new right winger.