Is there room for a statement signing at Everton this summer?

Exact knowledge of Everton’s summer budget is a guessing game, though the list of names credibly linked with Hill Dickinson Stadium has been fairly modest.

Hayden Hackney and Tyrique George have arrived for a combined initial fee of £34.5M, while Merlin Röhl’s loan from SC Freiburg has been turned permanent for around £18M.

Around £52.5M spent, but only Hackney’s arrival differentiates from last season’s squad. With Idrissa Gana Gueye’s deal expiring and Jack Grealish's loan over, Hackney will need to hit the Premier League running to ensure Everton do more than simply stand still.

Everton are expected to be busy across the remainder of the window. A right-back, or two, remains the priority, with Djed Spence, Ben White and Guela Doue the latest linked with filling a long-term problem position. Reports that Doue’s £40M asking price is out of Everton’s reach has created some concern about the finances available to invest.

Across the last five seasons, including this summer’s spend so far, Everton rank 15th in the Premier League for net spend. Only Aston Villa and Brighton, among ever-present top-flight teams, have invested less, net, in that 5-year window.

So, is there room for a signing that could really raise the ceiling?

The Premier League’s new Squad Cost Ratio rules are a factor, but this is a club whose finances should be comparable to divisional peers that have been unafraid to loosen the purse strings.

Everton had the 10th-highest wage bill in the Premier League last season and rank 24th, worldwide, for revenue. The Toffees were 11th among English clubs in Deloitte’s Money League for 2024-25, with revenues set to rise further following the move into Hill Dickinson Stadium last season.

With a solid spine built, clear upgrades at right-back and centre-forward would take this team up a level. A right-sided winger, too, if we’re being greedy. With reasonable fees potentially being brought in for Dwight McNeil, Tim Iroegbunam and Thierno Barry, there should be some room to manoeuvre for team-changing talents.

Every Premier League club bar one has broken its transfer record more recently than Everton, whose biggest deal was Gylfi Sigurdsson's signing 9 years ago. That year, Manchester United’s recruitment of Paul Pogba, was a world-record fee.

It’s not all about high fees, and Everton have invested before and got it wrong. Value remains the goal, but a real marquee signing would be a signal of intent from an ownership yet to win supporter trust.

Reader Comments (22)

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Malcolm Kitchen 3 Posted 09/07/2026 at 16:09:57

Various EFC sites saying Kofane, Spence and Bardghji. I'm on board with the first 2 but not Bardghji, too much of a risk! Maeda instead, more experienced, scores goals and Moyes likes him! Any thoughts fellow Blues??? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽😀💙

Malcolm Kitchen 4 Posted 09/07/2026 at 16:34:49

Various EFC sites saying Kofane, Spence and Bardghji. I'm on board with the first 2 but not Bardghji, too much of a risk! Maeda instead, more experienced, scores goals and Moyes likes him! Any thoughts fellow Blues??? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽😀💙

Frank Worrall 5 Posted 09/07/2026 at 17:13:58

Totally agree with Malcolm. Various names of potential forwards have been proposed, with Maeda and Ueda among the Japanese contingent. I fervently hope that Moyse abandons his pursuit of ageing, injury prone (and ultra expensive) players like Stones and less than successful strikers such as Delap, and starts looking elsewhere for talent.

Paul Hewitt 6 Posted 09/07/2026 at 20:35:05

Palace just signed mingusa from Celta Vigo on a free. Only 27 can play anywhere along the back, must mainly a right back.. Very decent as well. Once again our scouts probably don't even know who he is.

Terry Downes 7 Posted 09/07/2026 at 20:56:00

Ffs Why can’t we get Richy bk that would give time for any new striker to bed in ?? and why we’re at it get rid of Bill &Ben sorry Beto & Barry

Christy Ring 8 Posted 09/07/2026 at 21:26:50

Terry #7 I just read an article where Bryan King our former scout, and now so called expert, says he was a bad influence in the Everton and Spurs dressing room, and stay well clear? Always loved by our supporters, even now, would love him back.

Brian Foley 9 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:09:53

Mark (2) don’t understand your post in relation to post (1). Anyway Pochettino won a couple of things before my mum passed in 2005, and one thing since, I think. Nagelsmann? (Bagelsmann, schmagelsmann). Neither should be mentioned on here ever again. Bowen yes, Maeda yes, Hakimi of Morocco super player.

Terry Downes 10 Posted 09/07/2026 at 22:11:59

Christy He would surely score goals in this team i’d still take a chance on him ? Not sure there’s any experts at Everton from what i’ve seen ?

Mike Allison 12 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:26:48

Bowen in.

Spence in (should have signed Mingueza on a free). Also, accept that Patterson is decent.

Hopefully Grealish back on loan.

Swap Barry out for a footballer.

I’d keep Iroegbunam, I like him and he’s our most out and out defensive, tackling central midfielder. If we sold him we’d have to replace him.

Those are the urgent positions. I’d rather have a better left back if that can be wangled within the budget.

The huge issue at Everton is management, not players. Poor management on the field, through selection and substitutions, cost us 10-15 points last season. The last 7 games were a disgrace.

It doesn’t matter who we sign if Moyes plays Keane and Tarkowski with O’Brien at right back, whilst still somehow being poor in the air at set pieces.

Derek Thomas 13 Posted 10/07/2026 at 07:31:31

Only if it's not the over aged, over paid Grealish...not saying he's an awful player, just at his age and especially for his money, we could do better...probably twice.

Ian Wilkins 14 Posted 10/07/2026 at 08:30:53

Return for pre season training this week. So far we've added Hackney ( Rohl snd George were already with us, albeit not permanently). Without Gana ( out of contract) and Grealish ( City player as things stand).

There must be lots of business to be done, in and out. McNeill, Patterson ( please God no more there's a player in there.. there isn’t), Tim Iro, Barry, Travers, to depart Moyes will probably send Harrison, Aznou, Dibling out on loan. Better back up keeper, striker, RIGHT BACk, defensive midfield, left back competition, wide man to come in, as minimum.

Come on Recruitment team, we need to see movement. We should have been lining up realistic targets for the past 9 months.

Mike Powell 16 Posted 10/07/2026 at 10:48:02

We need to get rid of the likes of McNeil Tim Patterson and Barry, we need an upgrade on these players, otherwise it's gonna be same again for this coming season, right back as got to be a priority, surely we can't go into the season with no right back again. FFS Everton we are getting left behind again, get some players in for the start of preseason

Keith Gleave 18 Posted 10/07/2026 at 10:55:26

I don’t consider Bowen a marquee signing

Kevin Molloy 19 Posted 10/07/2026 at 11:01:02

I can't believe we are sniffing around spurs and Arsenal for players. Since when was that a profitable route? If we take any of their players we are GUARANTEED to be paying over the odds. So much for the world class recruitment team.

Geoff Lambert 20 Posted 10/07/2026 at 11:05:33

#13 "Only if it's not the over aged, over paid Grealish" If he had been fit for the last seven games we would have been in Europe. Richie back on 12 month loan deal?

Kevin Molloy 21 Posted 10/07/2026 at 11:06:30

the point about Hackney needing to hit the ground running cos of the outgoings is a good one. Our squad gets significantly worse each year because of the oldies who we have been running on empty with (Gueye, Tarks Grealish Keane). Replacing those players alone with players who can go straight into the first team will cost at least a hundred million. And that's just to stand still!

Geoff Lambert 22 Posted 10/07/2026 at 11:24:26

Outgoing's- Guye, Tim, Patterson,McNeil, and Barry. and if we get a decent offer for Ndiaye > £50 million take the money. Right back a priority, a powerfull defensive mid, Winger, Fatawu would be a decent buy fast and goals and assists in his locker and only in the 15 to 20 Million bracket. Not got the funds or pulling power for a top striker so stick or twist B & B or AN other.

Ajay Gopal 23 Posted 10/07/2026 at 12:05:02

To answer the title of this article: Yes! Not 1 statement signings, but 2!

Let me explain my thinking:

Ndiaye is wrangling to leave for a CL club, and I think if we can get 60+ million, we should deal. I would also sell McNeil, Barry, Patterson, Iroegbunam for a total 60 million, so that we get about 120 million. I wouldn't sign Grealish - other better options are available.

My 2 statement signings would be: Christian Kofane (Bayer Leverkusen) as our main striker for about 45 million, and Doue for about 40 million for right back. I would also try to get Bowen for about 25-30 million. This would take our spend to about 160 million - including the amount paid for Hackney, George and Rohl. So that would mean a net spend of about 45-50 million, which should be achievable.

The squad:

Centre Forwards: Kofane, Beto (+1 more on loan like Evan Ferguson?) Forwards/Wingers: Bowen, George, Alcaraz, Dibling Midfield: Garner, Hackney, Dewsbury-Hall, Rohl, Armstrong (+ 1 more experienced signing like Kovacic from Man City?) Full Backs: Mykolenko, Doue, Aznou (+1 more RB on loan) Centre Backs: Branthwaite, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane GK: Pickford, Travers, etc

This starting XI would be quite tasty:

(4-3-3):

Pickford Doue O'Brien Branthwaite Mykolenko Garner Dewsbury-Hall Hackney George Kofane Bowen

Raymond Fox 24 Posted 10/07/2026 at 12:05:53

It's easy saying get rid of players but you have to find better, it ain't easy. I don't think we can afford wholesale changes, I'd keep gueye for another season if he would sign, Grealish for another one. We need Patterson as a back up although that's debatable, also keep our two centre forwards, was it 17 goals between them, that's not bad at all. We are overstocked in midfield, but I don't dislike any of them. Branthwaite can't be relied upon to be fit, Tarks and Keane have seen better days so for me we need at least one other central defender, or maybe Rohl could play there. Obviously we need a good right back but there again they don't grow on trees. Also a lot depends on if Moyes thinks Dibling and Aznou are ready for the first team