Davy Klaassen has departed Everton to join Werder Bremen for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of around £12 million.
The move brings to an end of a nightmarish move for the former Ajax captain who failed to establish himself at Goodison Park following a €27 million move during last summers transfer window.
The 25-year-old only made 16 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, with seven of those coming in the Premier League.
He failed to register a goal during his time on Merseyside but chipped in with an assist during last season’s Europa League campaign.
Klaassen’s agent, Sören Lerby, had stated on a number of occasions that the midfielder had been willing to fight for his place in the Everton team, however, with the Blues cutting costs this summer and Klaassen’s wages outweighing his production, his departure has been inevitable.
A loan move to Napoli been mooted in January but that fell through due to a multitude of reasons.
Klaassen had appeared in two of Everton’s four friendlies so far during pre-season but failed to impress whilst others on the chopping block did.
A question of ‘what if’?
Klaassen arrived on Merseyside from his native Holland with plenty of excitement after captaining Ajax to a Europa League final appearance and bagging 20 goals in all competitions in the season prior.
He looked to be the solution to Everton’s midfield goalscoring woes but found himself struggling for a chance before he’d even got a chance to settle down.
A turbulent season at Goodison Park meant all three managers - Ronald Koeman, David Unsworth and Sam Allardyce - opted for the tried and true over players with potential and who were adapting to their new surroundings.
After starting the opening game of the season, Klaassen found himself relegated to the bench for the trip to face Manchester City.
A foot injury meant he would miss the trip to Chelsea but he recovered to start in the Blues’ defeat to Spurs.
At that point, Koeman was in trouble and the midfielder became an afterthought to a bigger picture.
He started in a crucial win over AFC Bournemouth but made way as the Blues began their comeback. From that point, Klaassen struggled to get back into the team.
The midfielder went 24 Premier League games without making an appearance before being used as a late substitute in the win over Brighton and Hove Albion. His arrival in that game was greeted with a booming reception from the Goodison Park faithful.
Yet, Klaassen missed out on the following six games and reappeared during Everton’s late 1-1 draw with Southampton, where he looked clever and opened up space in the final third and the Blues chased the game.
The question around the midfielder for plenty of Everton fans may be ‘what if?’ but they’ll have to watch from afar as he begins a new chapter in his career with Die Werderaner.