Inbound Rangers chief Thelwell praised for 'saving' Everton

Glasgow Times

25-04-2025

The former defender has praised the director of football for guiding the club through challenging financial times.
Ball believes Thelwell's actions were crucial in maintaining Everton's Premier League status, despite financial constraints imposed by the construction of the new Bramley-Moore Docks Stadium.
His comments come as Thelwell prepares to leave Goodison Park and take up a new role as Rangers' sporting director.
According to Ball, Thelwell's remit changed significantly during his time at the club, as he had to sell high-earning players and bring in cheaper replacements to keep the club afloat.
Ball told the Daily Record: "When Kev came in to the club in 2022, his remit at that time was totally different to the remit he's operating under now as he prepares to leave the club.
"Back then, Everton were trying to compete and move up the table.
"Very quickly, though, I think he realised the club wasn't in the stable position he first thought they were under Farhad Moshiri.
"That's when he had to start moving players out of the football club, which is always the most difficult thing when you've got players on large wages and long contracts."
Ball commended Thelwell's ability to sell players and get good money for them, despite the criticism he faced at the time for undervaluing certain players.
He said: "Looking back, I think you can see he actually did very well to move a lot of these players on and get good money for them.
"But he did get a little bit of stick at the time for undervaluing certain players.
"That, though, was just because the fans weren't fully aware of just how grim the situation at the club actually was."
Ball used the sale of Richarlison to Spurs for £60 million as an example, suggesting that this move was pivotal in saving the club.
He also pointed out the sale of Anthony Gordon to Newcastle for £45 million, which was criticised by fans who felt the club was being shortchanged.
Ball believes that these sales were necessary to avoid a larger points deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
He said: "If he didn't find buyers for those players, Everton would probably have received a bigger points deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules and that would have threatened the takeover that has now thankfully gone through."
Ball acknowledged the immense pressure Thelwell was under and praised his ability to keep Everton competitive despite the financial constraints.
He said: "But Kevin has definitely been operating with a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders.
"He's basically been working with both hands tied behind his back for his entire time at the club.
"He's had to move big earners out and bring in cheaper replacements - all the while trying to keep Everton in the Premier League."
Ball ended by praising Thelwell's negotiation skills, pointing to the acquisition of Youssef Chermiti and Beto, which cost the club no money up front.
He said: "He's arrived expecting to have a massive war chest to spend to now having the opposite, where he's forced to sell players while trying to keep the club competitive in the world's richest league."