There was nothing unusual about Ibrahima Bakayokos £4.5 million move from Montpellier to Everton on the surface, but Im convinced that Walter Smith only targeted the big Ivory Coast international because he was the business on Championship Manager 97/98. This might sound like a screwball theory, but think about it. Bakayoko was relatively unknown outside of France, but his stats were through the roof on the popular PC game. Back then, Champ Man wasnt quite as realistic as the Football Manager series it spawned, and the strikers in-game brilliance failed to translate to the Premier League. He lasted one season at Everton, netting seven times in all competitions before returning to France. If you want more evidence that Smith spent his downtime on Championship Manager, he also signed one of the games best young goalkeepers in Steve Simonsen of Tranmere Rovers. Although this deal was more likely the result of former Everton chairman Peter Johnson also controlling Rovers.
