Wayne Rooney, Davy Klaassen and what happened to players who left Everton in 2018

2018 will remain an eventful year in the history of Everton.

The bad feelings around the club were at their peak in the first few months of the campaign as Sam Allardyce's reign continued – but enthusiasm grew once again as Marco Silva and Marcel Brands took over.

One of the main areas of change over the course of the year has been the high turnover rate of players – with a number of big money signatures in the club as well as a big number of departures.

But will Everton regret letting one of these players go?

We looked at the six major departures from Goodison Park in 2018, what has happened to them since then and if the Blues will regret letting them go.

Ross Barkley

What happened? It has been one of Everton's most controversial departures in recent years when Barkley decided to leave the ship and relocate to Stamford Brigdge.

Having flirted with the idea of ​​a transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2017, the deal failed at the last minute – which ultimately cost the Blues a lot of money.

A few months later, Barkley was unveiled by the West London club for an estimated $ 15 million.

Did it work for Everton? Well, it would have worked a lot better if the agreement had been reached the previous summer.

Everton missed a big amount of money and Barkley did not play football for a single minute during the extra period at Goodison Park.

Did it work for Barkley? Midfielder navigation has not been easy yet, although the arrival of Maurizio Sarri seems to have been good news for Barkley.

The midfielder has made 44 appearances for the Stamford Bridge club, in all competitions since the beginning of time, and scored only five goals.

Aaron Lennon

What happened? After the signing of Theo Walcott in January 2018 for a lot of money, Aaron Lennon was later deemed surplus by Everton 's hierarchy.

Having made 19 appearances without scoring a goal in 2017/18 for the Blues, the winger has moved to Burnley in the hope of finding more play time.

Did it work for Everton? In the end, you have to say yes.

Walcott's signature was followed by Bernard and Richarlison's captures this summer, while Ademola Lookman also had the opportunity to impress Silva that term.

It's hard to see how all these things would have happened if Lennon was still at Goodison Park.

Did it work for Lennon? Again, you must say that's the case.

While the winger has scored only one goal since moving to Lancashire, he is finding more and more regular opportunities to impress and look happy both on and off the pitch, which we we all like to see.

Ramiro Funes Mori

What happened? The first big victim of the Silva and Brands era was actually a little surprise.

Ramiro Funes Mori had just come back from a long injury and played in Everton 's 3-1 defeat against West Ham in late 2017/18.

However, it was his last match for the club, as a move to Villarreal materialized for an undisclosed amount, ending a three-year club career.

Did it work for Everton? In short, yes.

Everton has had some problems in central defense this term, but most of them are due to injuries and suspensions – nothing suggests that Funes Mori could have improved the situation.

In the end, the Blues receive fees for the defender and remove books from them, which was absolutely necessary.

Did it work for Funes Mori? Yes, he has.

Mori Funes has turned out to be a regular member of the Villarreal setup so far this season, recording a total of 31 appearances in all competitions while the Spanish team has progressed in the Europa League – against Valencia in the quarterfinals.

Joel Robles

What happened? After being back from Everton to Tim Howard for a while, Joel Robles finally found his time in the limelight when the veteran goalie left Goodison Park in 2016.

However, much of the 2016/17 period was spent fighting Maarten Stekelnburg for a beginner role – and by the summer of 2017, Jordan Pickford's arrival meant that writing was on the wall.

After five years at the club, the Spaniard was released and he finally joined Real Betis.

Did it work for Everton? It's a strange one. As a substitute goalkeeper, Robles was a solid option and probably more capable than Maarten Stekelenburg.

However, there was little chance that the Spaniard could challenge Pickford for the # 1 jersey. So that's for debate.

Did it work for Robles? No, that was not the case.

The idea of ​​leaving would have been to have more playing time, but the Spaniard has been limited to numerous appearances in cup so far in his new club – playing only two games in Liga.

This was not what the 28-year-old was waiting for.

Wayne Rooney

What happened? Wayne Rooney's long-awaited return to Everton got off to a good start and in the first half of 2017/18, the club looked bad.

However, after the beginning of the year, things have changed. The attacker went back further in the midfield and did not score another goal in royal blue from the month of January.

Although Silva and Brands raised the possibility of keeping Rooney at their first press conference, it was later confirmed that a move to DC United was possible.

Did it work for Everton? Whether the boss wants to keep it at the club or not, there is no doubt that Everton has been better off this way.

Silva insisted on creating a fast attack style for his team – although this was often the case.

Should Rooney have a place in this system? You must say no.

Did it work for Rooney? Without a doubt, yes, absolutely.

Rooney seems to have found a new lease of life in the MLS, quickly becoming one of DC United's key players and helping them soar the rankings of the last term.

The former Everton player has already scored 15 goals in 24 appearances since arriving in the United States, which can only be considered as a huge success for him.

Davy Klabaden

What happened? The question to which we all want to know the answer after this move.

Despite incredible promises when he joined Ajax in the summer of 2017, the midfielder has never been up to it.

After only seven appearances in the Premier League, Klabaden completed his transfer to Werder Bremen in July 2018 for about half of what the Blues had originally paid for the Dutch international.

Did it work for Everton? Yes Yes.

Everton did not have time to wait to see if the midfielder would find his place in the Premier League and that he now has better players to fill that position.

Did it work for Klabaden? The Bundesliga proved to be an ideal choice for Klabaden.

The midfielder has already made 29 appearances in all competitions since he occupies a much more regular place in their starting team.