Could Rico Lewis be the right-back Everton need? | OneFootball

He has been on the lips of some, in the background now, for a few weeks.

So when Rico Lewis emerged on Wednesday as a player Everton are considering in their hunt to finally solve their long-standing right-back issue, it was not particularly surprising.

I won’t pretend to have in-depth information, but there had certainly been murmurings. How much weight one chooses to place on those rumours is up to them, of course, and as ever in what has become known as ‘silly season’, it’s best to take everything with a large dose of salt.

Everton are in a tough position when it comes to finally signing a right-back — albeit, it is an issue all of their own making.

In my opinion, the player needs to be ready to slot straight in. No bedding in time, at least when it comes to being ready to play from the off. Of course, there’s always off-the-pitch settling to take into account, especially if players are coming from abroad.

While that shouldn’t mean Everton throw too much money at a right-back, I don’t think they’re in a position to penny pinch, either.

There has been plenty of talk over Guela Doué and Djed Spence — two right-backs who the club certainly hold an interest in. Both have seemingly been given high price tags by their clubs.

As I have written previously, I think Everton will likely have to take a gamble. At 23, Doué, if he is their first-choice target, could be worth the outlay. But, he is also being linked with Inter, and may not be persuaded to join Everton.

Spence would likely be an easier sell for the player, and he offers a versatile option with plenty of top-level experience, as he has proven with England at the World Cup. But, Tottenham are reportedly asking for upwards of £35M for him, and that is simply too much, especially considering his wages will not be small.

But in Lewis, were Everton to be able to strike a deal, could they stumble upon the ideal solution?

It is easy to forget that Lewis is still so young. He’s just 21, and already has 116 senior games under his belt for Manchester City.

Lewis has scored 7 goals and provided 12 assists, and is capable of playing at right-back, left-back and in midfield. He is an England international.

Yes, he found himself out of the first team at Man City last season, but there is absolutely no shame in that. He is a top-quality talent and not only has vast potential, but has proved it already.

The key for any player coming in at right-back will be that they must play, if all is equal with their fitness and form. There cannot be any excuse for David Moyes not to play this new addition, for him to stick with the tried, tested and ultimately failing, Jake O’Brien at right-back experiment.

Everton clearly want a right-back, but the fanbase need that assurance of a player actually coming in.

Lewis, in my view, is an ideal fit. A player who Moyes would be happy to turn to, yet also one who has enough strings to his bow to be adaptable for other managers. You don’t play for Pep Guardiola without being a top-class operator.

The one concern, especially for Moyes, would be his height — he is only 5ft 7. But frankly, Moyes should not be leading the decision-making here, and the fact is, Lewis is a far better full-back than any of Everton’s current options.

There is a rumoured fee of £30M, and yes, while that is on the high side, he is so young, and comes with an English premium. This is not a past-it player signing for a last big pay day, and Everton aren’t in a position not to spend a sizeable fee on a right-back this summer.

Man City, according to the rumours, would not be closed off to a sale, so there could be something there.

Whether anything comes of it, we’ll have to wait and see, but if a deal could be struck (perhaps one that is heavily incentivised), then it would seem to be a no-brainer.

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Ajay Gopal 2 Posted 16/07/2026 at 10:48:34

Hmm, if Everton spend 30 million him, and Moyes does not play him (see Tyler Dibling), then that is money that we can ill afford to squander. Rico Lewis on a more reasonable 15-20 million + Ben White on loan may be sensible.