Journalist now claims £8.5m ace to leave Everton despite 8/10 display

According to journalist Paul Brown, Fabian Delph will not have his contract extended at Everton as he has been a “complete disaster”.

Delph signed for the Toffees during the summer of 2019 from Manchester City for £8.5m – not a bad fee for a 20-time England international and two-time Premier League winner. However, he has failed to constantly impact the Goodison Park outfit, making just 37 appearances in all competitions.

The 32-year-old’s contract with the Merseyside outfit runs out at the end of the campaign, and speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown suggested the club’s hierarchy will not look to come to an agreement over a new deal. He said: “Obviously, Fabian Delph has been a complete disaster, but his contract is up soon, so there’s absolutely no prospect of them extending that, that I can see.”

TIF Thoughts on Delph’s future…

The £8.5m deal to capture Delph made every sense when he became available. You don’t make 89 appearances for a side managed by Pep Guardiola if you don’t have quality, and his versatility – having played in midfield, at right-back and at left-back for the Citizens – made him an attractive proposition.

Fast-forward three years, though, and the transfer is emblematic of Everton’s troubles. Injuries have plagued Delph’s time at the club – according to Transfermarkt, he has missed 59 games with a variety of issues – meaning he has been reduced to just 24 starts, which works out at £354,000 per inclusion in the first XI.

His display during Everton’s 1-0 win over Manchester United – he won 100% of his duels and lost possession just eight times – illustrates his ability, with an 8/10 being awarded by Liverpool Echo. But he has not produced that level of performance enough to justify his £92,000-a-week