It's certainly an exciting time to be an Evertonian, something that very much has not always been the case in recent decades.
David Moyes' men concluded the last campaign with three successive victories, thereby finishing 13th, the perfect way to wave goodbye to Goodison and commence the club's new era.
Everton manager David Moyes celebrates after the match
From this season, the Toffees will now call the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock home, their first-ever Premier League fixture there coming up against Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend of 23 August.
Premier League 2025-26 opening weekend fixtures
Ahead of the new campaign, Everton have been busy in the transfer market, so are they about to land another key target?
Everton's search for reinforcements
So far this summer, both Abdoulaye Doucouré and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have departed following the expiration of their contracts; the duo made a combined 439 appearances for the Blues.
In better news, star centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite has signed a new five-year contract, while centre-forward Thierno Barro is set to arrive from Villarreal for a reported £30m.
Branthwaite-Beto
Now, according to Mick Brown of Football Insider, Everton are interested in signing Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City this summer.
The Nigerian is available for as little as £9m, thanks to a 'release clause' which was activated following the Foxes' relegation back to the EFL Championship.
Thus, he adds that Ndidi will definitely be on the move this summer, claiming many 'top clubs across Europe' are monitoring the situation, but Moyes is 'prepared to rival other interested clubs for his signature'.
A deal could even be done for just £5m, according to GIVEMESPORT, who report that both the Toffees and Manchester United have started 'working' on a deal.
Wilfred-Ndidi-Leicester
So, could the 28-year-old swap the East Midlands for Merseyside?
How Wilfred Ndidi would improve Everton
At the peak of his powers, Ndidi was extremely highly rated, with Adrian Clarke of the Premier League labelling him the division's 'most effective all-round holding midfielder', adding that his 'greatest strength is his uncomplicated style'.
This led to mass speculation that he would move to one of the country's biggest clubs, Arsenal and Man United purportedly amongst those chasing his signature at the peak of his powers, but the Nigerian has remained loyal to Leicester, making over 300 appearances for the Foxes to date.
He's represented the club in all three major UEFA competitions, as well as the EFL Championship, but, following yet another relegation, is seemingly pushing for a move.
So, how does he compare to the man he could be replacing in Everton's midfield, namely Doucouré?
Ndidi vs Doucouré 2024/25 PL comparison
Statistics
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
All statistics below are on a per-90 basis.
Shots
Chances created
Attempted passes
Forward passes
Passing accuracy %
Duels contested
Duels won
Ground duel success %
Tackles
Interceptions
Touches
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarktand Squawka
As the table outlines, pretty much across the board, Ndidi's statistics are more impressive than those of Doucouré.
The Mali international did score three goals last season, to the Nigerian's zero, and created 0.3 more chances per-90, but that's about all he has going for him.
Ndidi comes out on top in terms of shots, despite being deployed a lot deeper in midfield, as well as passes, duels, tackles, interceptions and touches, which is ultra-impressive, considering he was playing for a largely hopeless Leicester side.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him "an absolute beast", while Mak Pakhei of Total Football Analysis describes him as 'physically strong' and a duel-winning monster, noting that he was one of Leicester's 'most crucial players' when they were regularly finishing in the top five and won the FA Cup in 2021.
wiilfred-ndidi-leicester
So, if Everton are able to convince him to move to Merseyside, for around £5m-£9m, Ndidi would represent an absolute bargain.
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The Toffees have stepped things up...