The midfielder started the most recent match, against Fulham, and is expected to get more opportunities with Idrissa Gueye heading to the Africa Cup of Nations
Tim Iroegbunam during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Tim Iroegbunam during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road. Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
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Tim Iroegbunam is expected to remain part of David Moyes’ first-team plans for the coming months. Reports this week have claimed Everton were open to offloading the central midfielder in January.
They even suggested the Blues would be willing to explore a cut-price deal that would see them make a loss on the £9m move that brought the midfielder to Merseyside from Aston Villa in the summer of 2024.
Those claims have been met with surprise at the club, however, with the 22-year-old currently part of Moyes’ thinking as he continues to plot his way through a landmark season at Everton.
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The Scot’s own actions have backed up that position, with Iroegbunam named in the starting XI for the final Premier League match before the international break.
Winless since the home victory over Crystal Palace, the Blues boss opted to shift his side around for the visit of Fulham and took James Garner out of the middle to provide them with a different set of qualities at right-back - a position held by centre back Jake O’Brien since Moyes returned to the club in January.
Iroegbunam was the chief beneficiary and was selected ahead of deadline day signing Merlin Rohl, who will become an Everton player at the end of the season in a deal worth around £18m - providing the club avoids relegation.
Iroegbunam performed well in a dominant Everton performance and was withdrawn just after the hour mark following a yellow card.
That appearance - his eighth in the league this campaign - came after a useful cameo days earlier as he came off the bench to help the Blues hold on to a point at Sunderland.
He also started the opening two games of the season and his impact in the comeback win over Palace, along with fellow second-half substitutes Carlos Alcaraz and Beto, was hailed by Moyes.
Any planned upheaval in central midfield would come as a surprise given Moyes already has concerns over that area of the pitch, particularly in the coming months.
Idrissa Gueye, along with Iliman Ndiaye, is expected to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal next month.
They could miss up to seven games across the Premier League and FA Cup should Senegal, one of the favourites for the competition, reach the final.
Rohl has impressed behind-the-scenes but is still to be fully integrated into the first team after suffering several fitness issues since his arrival from Freiburg.
He could also be utilised out wide in defence and midfield given his versatility. Rohl’s ability to play in multiple positions is shared by another firs- team midfielder, Garner, who could yet be asked to continue at right-back after the comfortable win over Fulham.
Even if Harrison Armstrong was to be recalled from Preston, which would be a tough call given the extent to which he is excelling amid consistent first-team exposure, the prospect of Moyes sanctioning the weakening of his central midfield is unlikely - at least unless there was the opportunity for significant investment.