Everton set to beat Arsenal in transfer race for 'terrific' Bristol Rovers attacker | OneFootball

Everton are closing in on a raid of League Two side Bristol Rovers ahead of Arsenal and others this summer

Bristol Rovers have undertaken an action-packed summer transfer window to date ahead of Steve Evans' first full campaign after taking charge in December of last year, with no shortage of incomings and outgoings taking place at the Memorial Stadium.

An electrifying end to the previous season would see Rovers win 11 of their last 14 matches to secure an eventual 14th-placed finish in League Two, which represented remarkable progress under Evans' watch but now pales in comparison to where the Gas will want to find themselves in the upcoming 2026/27 term.

That's why Evans has been quick to get to work on a number of deals throughout the summer months, with the squad at his disposal already considerably stronger and primed for a potential promotion push next time around. Rovers have made seven summer signings at the time of writing by wrapping up moves for Jack Aitchison, Kofi Balmer, Tom James, Bobby Kamwa, Ciaran Kelly, Ben Purrington and Richie Smallwood, and there have also been various departures.

The most notable exits are perhaps those of Kamil Conteh and Isaac Hutchinson, who have joined Bromley and Doncaster Rovers respectively after growing discontent with the Gas and spending time away from the club on loan last season.

Rovers are not expected to be slowing down their activity anytime soon and, as Evans continues to push for further signings this summer, he's also dealing with yet another likely exit with Everton closing in on a raid of the fourth-tier promotion hopefuls.

Everton set to beat Arsenal to Bristol Rovers, Ollie Dewsbury transfer

Bristol Rovers had actively looked to move on many of those who have departed the West Country this summer although it's a different story with Ollie Dewsbury, who has emerged as a rising star in recent years but now looks set to leave for a shot at the Premier League.

As first reported on Monday evening by BristolLive, the highly-rated 18-year-old is currently training at Everton this week ahead of a potential move to Merseyside, which could well materialise with the Toffees now in pole position to land his sought-after services.

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Such a move will reportedly see Rovers net a healthy six-figure fee, which is naturally dependent on the outcome of his training period with Everton, and they could end up beating a host of rival clubs to Dewsbury's signature.

The youthful winger has also received interest from the likes of Arsenal, Fulham and Stoke City, but appears increasingly likely to join Everton after making 22 senior appearances for the Pirates.

Dewsbury graduated through the Rovers academy system and became the club's second-youngest appearance-maker in history back in 2023 before enjoying loan stints with Yate Town and Weston Super Mare, returning three goals from 20 National League South outings for the latter throughout the second-half of last season.

That came after the Wales youth international featured on 12 occasions in League Two for Rovers in 25/26, though he has been unable to receive regular minutes with the Gas as of yet.

Dewsbury, of course, will not be viewed as an immediate first-team signing for Everton, who will likely utilise the talented wide-man in their youth squads or sanction a loan exit if a deal can get over the line.

Bristol Rovers fans react to Everton, Ollie Dewsbury transfer news

Previously hailed as a 'terrific lad' by Evans, Dewsbury is one of the most promising talents to emerge at Bristol Rovers in recent years but his impending exit perhaps brings a sense of deja vu after Kofi Shaw left for Brighton just last year with a similar level of promise and lack of first-team impact.

That's exactly why this one fan has questioned the club's ability to retain talent and offer a pathway to consistent first-team football, although doing so becomes increasingly difficult as you travel further down the EFL pyramid and there perhaps isn't too much more that they really could have done to aid Dewsbury's development.

Another supporter directly referenced the aforementioned Shaw, believing his move to Brighton was much more justified than an exit for Dewsbury.

Similar sentiment was echoed by this Gashead, who believes that the teenager has perhaps done rather well to end up trialling with Everton ahead of a potential top-flight transfer.

This fan, meanwhile, may hold Dewsbury in a higher regard, but will remain without complaint if Rovers are able to net a respectable figure - and many of the Memorial Stadium faithful would view the mooted six-figure outlay as exactly that.