FIVE BEST/WORST FOREIGN SIGNINGS.

SO we’ll never get to see if Manuel Fernandes would have blossomed from a skilful if slightly raw talent into the next Vieira.
I’m inclined to ignore the Kenwright conspirators and blame this transfer collapse on agents, Benfica and the lure of Champions league football.

But it did get me thinking about our record in the transfer market for foreign players and the inevitable top fives.
Here’s my top five best and worst, predictably the later was much easier.....(oh and I mean ‘proper’ foreigners so no Brits.

What are yours?

BEST

1 Mikel Arteta - Hard not to lapse into hyperbole here. Most skilful player I’ve ever see at Goodison without doubt (...see, I said it was hard). Hates losing the ball, immensely strong on it for his size and if there’s a finer sight then watching him reduce full-backs to tears then I want to see it. Wish he would shoot more often though, like against Bolton last season.

2 Tim Cahill - Parramatta’s finest was a gamble few else fancied when we took him from Milwall. Sometimes they pay off. Big time. A spectacular habit of arriving late in the box when it matters to score hatfulls of goals and loads of future potential. Also provided the 'everyone-else-hates-him' highlight of last year by getting Xabi Alonso in a head-lock as we broke away to score in the 3-0 derby.

3 Andrei Kanchelskis - Big Joe Royle’s best signing. The way he used to cut in from the right wing and bury them into the bottom corner...sigh...
So prolific, with 20 goals, that typically we ended up using the Ukrainian as a striker. Oh well, he gave us some happy days before slipping off to Fiorentina for £8.5m.

4 Thomas Gravesen - Didn’t do much of note for a few years. Then had one of the most on-form, breathtaking 3/4 seasons ever. Tommy Grav became the beating heart of a resurgent midfield, pinged inch-perfect passes all over the shop and weighed in with some great goals. Then promptly buggered off to Real Madrid. Cue much sadness, some bemusement and a little mirth.

5 Anders Limpar - 45 yard goals, read Razzle outside Bellefield, skills to pay the bills. See earlier adoring blog.

WORST

1 Per Kroldrup - Infamously rumoured to have stopped play during one of those ‘behind closed doors friendlies’ at Bellefield to complain that the centre-forward stood on his toe.
Also rumoured to have been signed by mistake when Moysie really wanted Daniel Agger.
Terrible.

2 Claus Thomsen - What on earth, from the 6ft3 Dane’s 97 appearances and 8 goals for Ipswich, ever suggested he should play for Everton. Utter sh*te and a walking punchline for most of his spell in midfield.

3 Marc Hottiger - The Swiss full back made Earl Barrett seem good in hindsight. That was how frighteningly bad he was.

4 Ibrahima Bakayoko - Dark, dark days. Walter Smith paid £4.5m (of Peter Johnson’s non-existent) English pounds for him. He scored four times in 23 games and was flogged in 1999 to Marseille.

5 Alex Nyarko - Another £4.5m waste of money and time. Frustratingly he showed flashes of genuine class during the odd pre-season friendly but the grubby row when a fan wobbled onto the pitch and threw his shirt at him underlined the whole shambles. The work permit mess towards the end of his career pushes him onto the list.

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