Everton Eye 27-Year-Old Championship Midfielder: Does David Moyes Need Him This Summer? | OneFootball

Everton, Fulham and Brighton are leading the chase of Watford midfielder Imran Louza ahead of the summer window, with Africa Foot reporting that the Morocco international is set to leave Vicarage Road after the 2025/26 Championship season. The 27-year-old impressed throughout the campaign, netting seven goals and providing nine assists across 42 league outings, performances that have firmly attracted Premier League attention.

Everton Among Clubs Chasing Watford’s Louza

The Toffees reportedly made direct contact with Watford to enquire about Louza’s availability, with the Hornets valuing the playmaker at £15m. Two unnamed top-flight clubs also sounded out Watford separately, with Saudi Arabian and Qatari clubs registering interest beyond English shores, though Louza’s preference remains a move to the Premier League.

Everton’s Midfield Picture This Summer

Moyes acknowledged after the season that his side need reinforcements, publicly stating the club require a big summer to build on what has been achieved and that losing key players to a dip in form quickly changes results. Midfield additions are firmly on the agenda, with Idrissa Gueye’s contract expiring and the Senegalese veteran turning 37 in September, leaving a clear gap to fill in the engine room.

Hayden Hackney of Middlesbrough is understood to be high on Moyes’s midfield shortlist, with Everton in pole position for the 23-year-old after his side’s Championship play-off final defeat. Louza sits alongside this as a separate option, representing a more experienced profile at 27, though the £15m asking price has already given Everton pause.

Do Everton Really Need Louza?

HULL, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 03: Imran Louza of Watford looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Watford at MKM Stadium on February 03, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

David Moyes has a squad already reasonably stocked in central midfield. James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall drove Everton’s midfield last season, and options including Tim Iroegbunam, Merlin Rohl and Carlos Alcaraz remain at Moyes’s disposal.

Louza is a talented operator, no question. Seven goals and ten assists from a Championship midfielder stand up to scrutiny, and his reading of the game is a tier above what Watford needed from him. Yet the concern is context. He has spent five years in the second division, largely because a succession of Premier League clubs looked and moved on. Brighton see him as squad depth ahead of their Conference League campaign, which is arguably the most honest assessment of his ceiling.

For Everton, who finished 13th and carry higher ambitions under the Friedkin Group, spending £15m on a player other clubs want at a discount feels like a compromise. Moyes should focus his budget on proven Premier League quality or high-ceiling younger players. Louza may well thrive in the top flight, but Everton’s money is better spent elsewhere. Let Fulham or Brighton take the gamble.