Everton flop sold for £25m is now outshining with 8 goals in 13 games…

In a remarkable twist of fate, former Everton striker Salomón Rondón, who was once deemed a flop at Goodison Park, has found his form in spectacular fashion after his £25m move to Premier League rivals. The Venezuelan forward, who struggled to make an impact in Merseyside, is now lighting up the league with a stunning goal-scoring run that has put him firmly in the spotlight — and overshadowed Everton’s own Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the process.

Rondón’s time at Everton was far from memorable. After joining the club in 2021, expectations were high given his impressive performances at previous clubs like West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United. However, his time in blue quickly became defined by inconsistency, a lack of sharpness in front of goal, and struggles to adapt to the Premier League’s pace. With just a handful of goals to his name during his stint at Everton, many wrote off the 34-year-old as a failed acquisition.

However, a surprise move away from the Toffees in the summer of 2023 saw Rondón join a rival club for a fee of £25 million. To the shock of many, the move appears to have ignited the forward’s career once again. In just 13 appearances for his new team, Rondón has found the back of the net eight times, a clinical return that has far outstripped his output during his Everton days.

Rondón’s resurgence comes at a time when Everton are struggling in the Premier League. The club’s attack has been stifled by injuries and a lack of form from star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. While Calvert-Lewin has faced numerous injury setbacks over the past year, his form since returning to full fitness has been disappointing, with only a couple of goals in the opening months of the season.

This stark contrast in fortunes between the two strikers has sparked a wave of debate among Everton fans and pundits alike. Many feel that the club made a mistake by letting Rondón leave without giving him a longer run in the first team, particularly as he is now showing the sort of clinical edge that was sorely missing during his brief time at Everton.

In contrast, Calvert-Lewin, once regarded as one of England’s brightest striking talents, has yet to recapture the form that saw him score 21 goals in the 2020/21 Premier League season. Despite his technical ability and physical prowess, the 26-year-old has found himself increasingly sidelined as Everton struggle to find their footing in the top flight.

Rondón’s impressive start to the season has put a significant amount of pressure on Calvert-Lewin, especially with the Venezuelan forward enjoying a rich vein of form. His ability to score from a variety of positions — whether in the air or with his feet — has added a new dimension to his team’s attack. More importantly, Rondón’s performances have proven that players who are written off too early can sometimes thrive in a different environment with the right motivation and support.

Everton will now have to regroup and evaluate their striking options, with many questioning whether Calvert-Lewin can return to his best form or whether the club made a mistake in letting Rondón leave. For Rondón, however, this latest chapter in his career represents a true redemption story, one that demonstrates the unpredictability and drama that makes football such an enthralling sport. As he continues to find the back of the net with regularity, Everton’s loss is certainly proving to be another club’s gain.