On June 25th 2015, Everton confirmed a €6 million deal (£5.3 million) had been agreed for Gerard Deulofeu.
The 24-year-old scored his first goal as a permanent Everton player, a free kick at the Madejski Stadium, as they came from behind to win 2–1 against Reading in the third round of the League Cup.
Supporters thought that their side had just secured a player that had the potential to become a star at Goodison Park having witnessed his loan spell, as they took to the confirmation of the signing on Twitter with delight.
@Everton @gerardeulofeu Welcome back Magic man
— Everton FC Elon is moron (@GrandOldLady_) June 25, 2015
@Everton @gerardeulofeu he's magic you know!!!!
— Matthew (@matty1878_) June 25, 2015
@Everton @gerardeulofeu get in lad! Welcome home!!!
— JP (@belfasttoffee) June 25, 2015
@Everton @gerardeulofeu baller. Top signing. Reckon he'll get the best out of Barkley and Lukaku.
— Klaus Mikaelson (@GoonerK6492) June 25, 2015
@Everton @gerardeulofeu what a steal
— Jack (@jacklong__) June 25, 2015
@Everton @gerardeulofeu Very Huge bargain for a very talented lad.Better than Sterling in my opinion
— Tazz (@TrizzyAdvent) June 25, 2015
@Everton @gerardeulofeu what a bargain! Brilliant signing
— hhhhhjjhhj (@jsjsjsaks9282) June 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/DentonToffee/status/614084728375889921
Born in Riudarenes, Girona, Catalonia, Deulofeu joined Barcelona’s youth academy in 2003 at the age of nine. On the 2nd of March 2011, still registered with the junior team, he made his senior debut, appearing for the B-team in a 4–1 away win against Cordoba. On the 3rd of August he made his Barcelona first-team debut, in a friendly against Guadalajara, and on the 16th of September 2012, Deulofeu scored his first goal as a senior.
Interestingly, on the 10th of July 2013, Everton signed the Spaniard on a season-long loan from Barcelona.
He scored on his debut for the Toffees in the second round of the Football League Cup, and then went on to score his first Premier League goal against Stoke City three months later. However, the winger suffered a hamstring injury which sidelined him for five weeks, but this didn’t affect Everton’s campaign as he helped them finish fifth.
In May 2014, Deulofeu was granted a first-team place by Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, however, on the 14th of August 2014, Sevilla reached an agreement with Barcelona for the loan of Deulofeu for the coming season.
Following the Italian loan spell, Deulofeu joined Everton permanently on the 1st of July 2015, and he scored his first goal as a permanent Everton player against Reading in the League Cup.
However, the Merseyside club were frustrated enough with the Spaniard to allow him to depart for AC Milan on loan as he just couldn’t have any kind of desired effect, with Barcelona later activating his buy-black clause.
Of course, supporters were always going to be excited about him joining after a successful loan spell previously, but he just didn’t live up to expectations after signing permanently as a real waste of talent.
