Transfer targets: Which midfielders could Everton sign? | OneFootball

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Midfield is not the only position Everton need to address this summer. There should be huge priority given to both full-back positions. There should also be an awareness that Everton urgently need more pace on the flanks and/or in attack.

But make no mistake, midfield is an area of need.

Even if Idrissa Gana Gueye stays, to keep the options the same as they were last season, Everton are in need of a more natural sitting player, or at the least, a player who can dominate in that area of the field and add real presence both on and off the ball.

But Gueye may well not stay, and Everton, it is understood, would be open to moving Tim Iroegbunam on if the right offer came in.

Hayden Hackney has clearly been seen as a target Everton feel they can get in, but he doesn’t fully solve the issues the Toffees have in there.

Hackney does bring plenty of qualities, especially when it comes to ball progression, either via passing or carrying, but defensively, there are question marks, and stature wise, he isn’t necessarily the “presence” I feel Everton require in the middle of the park.

So, here’s a few potential options that could improve Everton’s midfield.

MANU KONE

We’ll start with a player who would transform Everton’s midfield, albeit one who is perhaps not quite a natural Number 6.

Kone would be wasted if he was just instructed to sit and collect the ball off the defence but, if you threw him in alongside James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, then that is one hell of a midfield.

The Frenchman has it all. He can carry the ball at pace, he can fizz in a pass, and he is not shy of a tackle.

In Roma’s squad last term (Serie A only), Kone ranked 1st for ground duels won (127), 5th for tackles (49), 4th for possession won (127), 3rd for carries (363) and 5th for progressive carries (186); he also registered an impressive 85.7% pass accuracy in the final third.

He is in France’s World Cup squad, and has taken the No 6 shirt. It’s probably a pipedream, but surely, TFG could have a word… It’s reported that Kone will be available even with Roma having qualified for the Champions League.

L'Equipe have claimed Kone is 'expected' to leave Roma, who could be forced into sales in order to comply with Uefa financial regulations.

MORTEN HJULMAND

Of all the players on this list, Hjulmand probably is the most natural No 6.

He is your typical defensive midfielder; he can shield the backline and also act as a pivot for the team to work their way up the pitch through.

The Dane has been excellent for Sporting CP, impressing not only domestically, but also in the Champions League.

There’s always a risk when signing players from Portugal, of course, but Hjulmand has demonstrated his quality on the international stage, too.

An excellent passer (his 1,533 successful passes ranked 3rd out of midfielders in Portugal’s top tier in 2025-26), Hjulmand is also capable defensively and, given he turns 27 later this month, is at the perfect age to come in and instantly slot into David Moyes’s team.

There’s been tentative links so far, with Sporting reportedly wanting €35M as a starting point.

SHEA CHARLES

Along with Hackney, Charles is probably the standout young midfielder in the second tier of English football.

Charles is more defensively minded than Hackney, though is not as far along in his development as the Middlesbrough captain.

A full Northern Ireland international, there is plenty to like about Charles, who Everton have scouted.

He won possession 143 times in the Championship in 2025-26, making 52 tackles and 30 interceptions, while winning 117 of 204 ground duels.

The issue is, especially if Hackney came in too, it would be two more younger players for a position that could well do with a bit more nous and power in there.

MAMADOU SANGARE

Now this is an intriguing one for me; if Gueye were to leave, then at least numbers-wise, you could not look for a better direct replacement than Sangare.

He was Lens’s standout performer as they had a fantastic season under Pierre Sage, who seems all set to join Crystal Palace.

Sangare is a bundle of energy and a fantastic ball winner but, a bit like Gueye, to get the best out of him, you wouldn’t necessarily want him just sitting. He needs to be able to get about and put out fires.

The 23-year-old led Ligue 1 for possession won (207), ranked 2nd for tackles (86) and 3rd for ground duels won (159).

He’s an exceptional player and with plenty of room to grow, too.

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Come out of the window with Hayden Hackney and run. You can see on the ball, technically he'd be our best footballer by quite a bit, It would just be a matter of getting used to the speed of the prem.

Darren Hind 2 Posted 15/06/2026 at 17:00:14

I don't think he will have any trouble adjusting to the speed we play at, Phil.

Not once Moyes has got him used to playing with the handbrake on

Christy Ring 4 Posted 15/06/2026 at 19:49:13

I'd take Hackney, but I'd start Garner at 6, Armstrong at 8 and KDH at 10, and give Hackney time to settle, and agree with David, let Gueye and Tim go.

For me midfield would not be our priority this summer,although a creative,attacking midfielder who can contribute a few goals would not go amiss. Our first concern has to be the back four.we need at least 2FB’s and a CB.Without quality reinforcements at the back we are going to struggle next season regardless of who’s in midfield. We desperately need a pacy right sided attacker also,in fact we need pace throughout the side. I’ve not seen much of all the players mentioned in the article but what I’ve seen of Hackney he is not particularly quick and does he have the physicality to impose himself in the PL? For me the jury’s still out on him.

Mick O\\\'Malley 6 Posted 16/06/2026 at 08:07:11

With the yard dog Tarkowski signing a 2 year extension it looks like he's going to be filling one of the centre half births for the foreseeable so we need someone alongside side him with a bit of pace, I don't want to see us set up on the edge of our box again especially with Jarrad struggling injury wise

7 Posted 16/06/2026 at 10:04:35

Presumably if Sage becomes the new Palace manager, Sangare will be the obvious replacement when (rather than if-) Wharton departs to pastures greener. It's a great shame we are so unlikely to be able to recruit Wharton, particularly as he should be straight up to speed for the new season, being without any W/C involvement. And the W/C is likely to have serious impact on how the coming P/L season plays out with involved/unrested players at real risk of blowing up later in the season if they don't get a delayed/protected start.