adminAbdul Fatawu endured a frustrating afternoon against Everton for Ipswich Town last weekend.
The Toffees secured a 1-0 victory over the Tractor Boys, with Thierno Barry scoring the only goal of the match.
Everton’s task was made easier when Ipswich winger Fatawu, who joined from Leicester City in the summer, was dismissed in the 67th minute.
The 22-year-old Ghana international had already been booked before receiving a second yellow card and subsequent red for simulation.
Fatawu had given Everton plenty to think about up until that point, but his dismissal left his team facing a difficult challenge.
Had circumstances been different, Fatawu could have been wearing Everton’s colours on Saturday rather than representing Ipswich.
Why did Everton not sign Abdul Fatawu?
Fatawu has been on Everton’s radar for several years, but a transfer has never ultimately been completed.
In fact, Everton’s interest dates back to his time at Sporting CP, although he eventually joined Leicester in 2023.
During the summer of 2025, Everton were considering a move for the winger, but once again, the deal failed to materialise.
There were also reports that a transfer was close to being completed this past summer, only for Ipswich to eventually win the race for his signature.
The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland, speaking on the Blue Room podcast, discussed Everton’s long-standing interest while also revealing the “mad” reason why a move did not happen in 2025.
He said: “Fatawu had a mad game, but there was plenty of good in the performance before he got sent off.
“Yeah, Everton looked at him, Everton first looked at him when he was playing for Sporting in Portugal, I think there was an opportunity to take him on loan and he went to Leicester instead.
“I think Leicester were in the Championship at that point, I think the feeling was he needed maybe a lower EFL loan before kicking on. So, they’ve looked at him a few times.
“They looked at him not (just in) the summer just gone but the summer before that, but were quoted a pretty mad price from Leicester at the time, pretty comparable to what Everton paid for (Tyler) Dibling.
“You can see there’s a lot of talent there, I thought he gave Everton a very good game at times, but he’s capable of really infuriating moments too, we saw that at various junctures including when he gets sent off.”
Would Abdul Fatawu have been a good signing for Everton?
There is no questioning the huge amount of talent Fatawu possesses.
However, there may be a sense that the winger remains a work in progress, which is understandable considering he is still only 22.
It is also worth considering that Everton already have promising wide options in Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George.
So, would Fatawu have been a good addition? Potentially, the answer is certainly yes.
However, it perhaps feels like the type of gamble Everton were unwilling to make, particularly with the club already possessing genuine promise in the wide areas.
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