James Garner is approaching the final six months of his Everton current but says his main focus is what's happening on the pitch
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: James Garner of Everton and Jamie Gittens of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on December 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
James Garner of Everton and Jamie Gittens of Chelsea during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on December 13, 2025
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James Garner insists he hasn’t “thought much” about a new contract at Everton as the midfielder moves towards the final six months of his current deal. Garner signed a four-year contract when he joined the Blues for an initial £9million from Manchester United, although David Moyes has stated there is an option to extend it.
Recent reports have claimed that talks have officially opened on improved terms for the 24-year-old, who has earned rave reviews from his manager this season, playing not just in his preferred central midfield role, but in both full-back berths.
Moyes claimed that Garner was as good as anyone on the pitch in the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea but when asked about what comes next, the player said: “I haven’t thought much about it, no. I am just touching in week in, week out.
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“You can’t really think too far ahead, so week in, week out, I am just trying to get better as a player and try and help the team as much as I can.”
Garner maintains he is currently enjoying playing for Everton, though, and said: “Yes, of course, we have come on leaps and bounds since I first joined the club, so we are definitely moving in the right direction.”
Garner was pleased with how the visitors played at Stamford Bridge but acknowledged that Chelsea’s ruthless finishing proved the difference between the two sides.
He said: “I think we were probably the better team throughout the 90 minutes, but the difference was in both boxes they were very clinical, so I’m quite disappointed overall.
“There are a lot of positives to take, like I said, we were probably the better team. We created a lot of chances, we just did not put it in the back of the net, but there’s definitely a lot to take going into next week.”
Everton were handed an early blow when Garner’s midfield colleague Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, arguably their best player in recent matches, was forced off injured after just 15 minutes.
The Birkenhead-born player said: “It was massive, he has probably been our best player over the last four or five weeks, so to lose him so early on was tough.
“But we have equally got as much quality on the bench who can fill his shoes, so hopefully it is a fast recovery for him, and he will be back out there.”
In terms of his own form, Garner is pleased with how this season has been going. He said: “Midfield is my preferred position, but I am happy to play anywhere as long as I am playing.
“I am trying to grow as a player. I am trying to do my best week in, week out and hopefully the players, the manager and the fans can see that, but at the end of the day, week in, week out we need to be picking up points and today we fell short.
“Our form was much better than their form coming into the game and we knew we had a good chance of beating them today.
“We have shown for large parts of the game the type of team that we are now compared to the last few seasons, but at the end of the day, it is the fine margins and they were slightly better than us today at that.”
After finishing 13th last season, Garner is hoping that Everton can remain in the top half this term and mount a challenge for a European place.
He said: “Targets as a team this season are definitely to finish in the top half, if not try and get into a European spot.
“I don’t think that is unrealistic at all, we have got the quality, the players.
“I think we have shown already this season we are competing against some of the bigger teams, and we are winning, so the aim this season is to finish as high as we can.”