Everton paid £25m for him before Middlesbrough spell - now he's playing in Brazil at 37 | OneFootball

Everton paid £25m for Yannick Bolasie before he ended up going out on loan to Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough signed a player in 2021 who was worth £25 million just a few years before his move to the Riverside in Yannick Bolasie.

The winger made the switch to Goodison Park in 2016 from Crystal Palace after showing that he has what it takes to compete in the Premier League.

The now 37-year-old made the switch in a deal valued at a reported £25 million, after helping the Eagles finish 15th in the Premier League table.

Bolasie was key to the London outfit’s promotion to the top flight in 2013, and he contributed nine goals and 13 assists in three top flight campaigns prior to his move to the Toffees.

Yannick Bolasie’s difficult Everton spell

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Bolasie signed for Everton with just a couple of weeks left in the summer transfer window, but he only played 13 times in the Premier League in his first season with the club.

He scored one time, finding the back of the net in a 2-1 defeat to Burnley, while also providing four assists.

But an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in December put an end to his campaign, with his return coming 12 months later.

While he played 16 times in the second half of 2017/18, he managed just one more goal and zero assists, which sparked the beginning of the end for his time with the Merseyside outfit.

Yannick Bolasie’s loan moves lead to Middlesbrough

Bolasie went on loan to the likes of Anderlecht, Aston Villa and Sporting Clube de Portugal before winding up at Middlesbrough in 2021.

The winger joined Neil Warnock’s side in the January window, with Boro sitting seventh in the Championship table when he put pen to paper.

The Teesside outfit were just three points adrift of the play-offs, and he went straight into the starting lineup, making his debut in a 0-0 draw away to Norwich City.

Bolasie had to wait until 5 April to score his first goal for the club, finding the back of the net in a 1-1 draw against Watford.

The 37-year-old also scored against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday, providing an assist in the victory over the Owls as well.

But Warnock’s side fell to 10th in the table, missing out on a play-off place by 13 points.

Yannick Bolasie’s struggles after Middlesbrough

Carlo Ancelotti deemed Bolasie as not a part of his first team plans, which led to his departure from Everton following his return from his Middlesbrough loan spell.

The winger signed for Turkish side Caykur Rizespor, but it wasn’t the last we saw of the player in English football.

He made the move to Swansea City in November 2023, signing a short-term contract after becoming a free agent.

But Bolasie played just 10 times for the Swans before his deal expired, and they were unable to agree terms to extend his stay.

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Yannick Bolasie’s move to Brazil

Bolasie made the surprising move to Brazilian football following his exit from Swansea in January 2024.

The forward initially joined Circiúma, where he contributed eight goals and four assists from 34 appearances in the league.

But he moved to Cruzeiro and then Chapecoense, playing another 35 times in Série A across the two stints.

While Bolasie struggled for consistent form in the years following his move to Everton, the switch to Brazil has proved a fruitful move and one that has given the final few seasons of his career a positive note to end on.