The left-back position at Everton has recently been the subject of much discussion with Leighton Baines signing a new contract and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney (via the Herald) heavily linked.
Furthermore, the Toffees have also now announced the signing of Andre Gomes, providing fans with plenty of excitement going into the rest of the window, following what was a hopeful end to the campaign under Marco Silva.
One man arguably without hope, however, is Luke Garbutt.
The Oxford Mail have reported that Oxford are set to capture the defender on a permanent deal after impressing last season on-loan. The 26-year-old initially struggled, but a positive end to the season, including three goals in their last five games seems to have been enough to convince boss Karl Robinson.
Garbutt was signed from Leeds in 2009, the then 16-year-old deemed a hot prospect. In fact, he was part of England’s exciting U21 squad, which included Harry Kane and John Stones, that flopped at the 2015 European Championships.
Despite his promise, the Englishman has failed to establish himself in the team in his 10 years at the club. He has made a total of five appearances, of which Everton have lost on each occasion. Pretty terrible going.
During his spell on Merseyside, the left-back has been loaned out to Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham, Wigan and now Oxford United, so it’s really quite hard to imagine him walking into the team upon his return to Everton, with the likes of Lucas Digne impressing.
Now approaching the prime of his career, it’s arguably time for Garbutt to move away from the club. Indeed the promise was there, but the move has clearly not worked out. Frankly, there’s just only so long a player can play on-loan.
Garbutt is valued at £675,000 (per TransferMarkt) and a move to Oxford makes sense for both clubs and the player alike.
For Everton in particular, they shouldn’t think twice about offloading him.
Everton fans, did you have high hopes for Garbutt? Is it now time to see him go? Or is he entirely irrelevant? Let us know!
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