Everton Take Contrasting Stance In The Transfer Market For These 2 Players: The Right Move For Moyes? | OneFootball

New reports from Istanbul suggest that Beto’s team flew to Turkey late last week. They were trying to wrap up a deal for the Everton striker. Fenerbahçe had picked the Portuguese forward as their top choice to replace Youssef En-Nesyri, who is about to join Juventus. The Turkish club first asked for a loan with an option to buy, but the Everton bosses shot that idea down immediately.

Everton Transfer Standoff: Beto Pricing Blocks Fenerbahçe Move as Lazio Circle Iroegbunam

After a lot of back-and-forth, Everton have told Fenerbahçe they want a flat €20m fee to let him go. The Istanbul club weren’t willing to pay that much, which led Beto’s agent to leave the city without a deal in place. It’s still unclear whether the 27-year-old’s agent has returned to Merseyside to rethink things or has headed to Italy to see if anyone else is interested.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 10: Beto of Everton looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Everton and Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

At the same time, there is a lot of talk about midfielder Timothy Iroegbunam. Calciomercato says Lazio are getting ready to offer between €8m and €10m for the 22-year-old. Still, Everton want something closer to €15m.

Iroegbunam joined from Aston Villa in June 2024 and has become a key part of David Moyes’ squad, playing 19 times already this season. His contract runs until June 2027, so the club are in a tricky spot regarding his long-term price tag.

A Risky Gamble on Squad Depth

Looking at these moves, the leadership at Goodison Park are taking a high-stakes gamble. Asking for €20m for Beto is a bold move. He hasn’t done much over the last year, but the high price shows Everton won’t let their attackers go for cheap.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Tim Iroegbunam of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 07, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

If Moyes wants to put that money toward a better goalscorer, then staying firm is the right move. On the other hand, overpricing a bench player might backfire. It could leave the club stuck with an unhappy player and no extra cash to fix the starting lineup.

Selling Iroegbunam, however, doesn’t make much sense. Trading away a 22-year-old midfielder who plays regularly for just €10m, or even €15m, looks like bad planning for the future. The team need his energy and depth to handle the tough Premier League season.

Plus, the Englishman’s contract isn’t running out yet, so there’s no reason to rush a sale. Unless Lazio come back with a much bigger offer, or Moyes has a better replacement ready to go, letting him leave would hurt the team for very little profit. Everton need to focus on keeping their young talent instead of selling them off for nominal fees.