Everton Face 1st Relegation Since 1951 Despite Spending

After another loss to city rivals Liverpool on Sunday, the possibility of relegation is a reality for perennial Premier League stalwarts Everton.

With six matches remaining, they’re 18th in the table and two points from safety — a position that would drop them from England’s top flight for the first time since 1951.

Though it’s difficult to nail down what went so catastrophically wrong for Everton, clues point to a string of bad returns on investment in players and managers.

• Everton’s $390.7M total transfer fee value ranks sixth in the Premier League.
• Five players — Gylfi Sigurdsson, Alex Iwobi, Yerry Mina, Michael Keane, and Jordan Pickford — cumulatively account for $183.8M of those transfer fees; all have been subject to legal trouble, injuries, or poor form this season.
• After finishing 10th last season with Carlo Ancelotti, the Toffees are 8-5-19 under three different managers this season.

A drop from the Premier League would mean at least one season of significant revenue loss.

Premier League clubs posted a combined revenue of $6.6 billion in 2018-19 — while EFL Championship clubs generated only $998.8 million.

If Everton end up relegated, they’ll at least get a cash injection to help them land on their feet — the Premier League has instituted parachute payments to relegated teams that are spread out over three years.