Should Everton achieve David Moyes' aim of qualifying for Europe, our writers believe it will require another busy summer on the transfer front
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 24: David Moyes, Manager of Everton celebrates after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on November 24, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
David Moyes and Everton could be set for another busy summer in the transfer market(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Following their 2-0 win over Burnley, Everton go into the final nine matches of the Premier League season just one point behind seventh-placed Brentford, who currently occupy the final European qualification spot.
If the Blues were to qualify for Europe, how many new signings would they have to make this summer?
Our Everton reporter, Chris Beesley, and head of sport, Paul Wheelock, have their say...
Chris Beesley
Backed by the sovereign wealth fund of the House of Saud, Newcastle United are – on paper at least – the richest football club in the world. However, following their 3-2 defeat to Everton on Saturday, a result that ensured the Blues had triumphed on their last two trips to St James’ Park, head coach Eddie Howe pointed the finger over his team’s struggles on juggling their domestic fixtures with Champions League commitments.
The boyhood Evertonian said: “Certainly in relation to the Premier League, our form for a while has not been strong enough, it’s not been good enough. We know that, we take responsibility for that.
“It’s been really frustrating for us. That is the perils of Europe I’m afraid.”
So, if Everton are to get themselves back into continental competition next term – an aim which David Moyes told this correspondent was his aim when I interviewed him in the team’s Chicago hotel at the Premier League Summer Series last July – just how many new faces might they require?
I was also in the room, along with hundreds of Blues, in New York City earlier in the tour when the Glaswegian gaffer did his ‘mic drop’ moment and told a boisterous audience for a Men in Blazers live show that that the Blues needed to sign “nine or 10 players before the start of the season.”
They got there in the end, but what kind of figures might we be looking at ahead of 2026/27? I can’t tell you why, but Thursday-Sunday routines are often cited as being tougher than Wednesday-Saturdays for some reasons, but if Everton were to end up in the Europa Conference League, Moyes knows the landscape having lifted the trophy with West Ham United in 2023, to end the east London club’s 43-year silverware drought.
The 62-year-old has already disclosed that the Blues have been actively searching for a right-back for almost a year and depending on what happens with Nathan Patterson and Seamus Coleman this summer, perhaps they’ll need two? As well as Michael Keane has done this term, his one-year contract is due to expire so if he does leave, there’s a centre-back who needs replacing.
Merlin Rohl’s permanent transfer will kick in given the obligation to buy from Freiburg is based on Everton staying in the Premier League but the decision whether to take up the option on Chelsea’s Tyrique George is less clear cut with the 20-year-old having to impress the manager over the next couple of months or so.
What about those players that Moyes brought in but have failed to make a major impact The jury remains out on the biggest buy of last summer, Tyler Dibling while Adam Aznou seemingly is still not deemed ready for Premier League football.
Then there is the striker situation. Neither Beto, who there is a big decision to make over this summer as he approaches the final 12 months of his current contract, or Thierno Barry have been entirely convincing.
All in all, depending on how many potential outgoings there might be, I reckon there might have to be at least six new faces.
Paul Wheelock
While David Moyes has proven he can take teams far in Europe without harming their domestic form, the pitfalls of this season are there for all to see. Like Chris mentioned above, Newcastle United, even with all their resources, are struggling to meet the competing demands, and that's before we even get on to Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, who along with Moyes' former club West Ham United, are in real danger of going down alongside Burnley and Wolves despite the progress they have made in the Europa League and Champions League respectively.
But after years of battling against or at least flirting with relegation, you won't find many Evertonians who would turn down a jaunt across the continent next season. But be it the Europa Conference or Europa League - and dare we say it, the Champions League, given the gap to fifth is currently five points - then the Blues are going to have make signings this summer. And lot's of them.
Much will depend on whether Vitalii Mykolenko, Michael Keane, Idrissa Gueye and Seamus Coleman sign contracts. For my money, the first three remain important members of Moyes' first-team squad and deserve new deals and, even if modern-day legend Coleman decides the time is right to retire from playing, he has hardly featured in the past two seasons, anyway, and besides, there is every chance he would take his place on the coaching staff given the weight of influence he still carries at the club.
The bigger questions concern the loanees. Merlin Rohl's move from Freiburg is now almost certain to become permanent but, as promising as his cameos have been, I'm not sure about triggering the option to buy Tyrique George if it means hampering the game time of Tyler Dibling.
Then there's Jack Grealish. While Everton are basking in the feelgood factor of back-to-back wins, the Manchester City man's absence has been keenly felt since his devastating injury. So if a deal can be done with his parent club, but not for the reported fee of £50m and not for the wages he commands at the Etihad Stadium, then it is certainly one that needs exploring.
Regardless, I still believe the Blues need one more winger - but one with out and out pace who prefers to go down the line rather than cut inside.
But the top priority simply has to be a right-back. It's a position that been needed to be filled for too long now and there can be simply no excuse over not recruiting one in the summer given Premier League rivals did exactly that last summer without breaking the bank.
And even if Mykolenko remains, another left-back could well be needed too, especially if Adam Aznou continues to be deemed as not ready.
Last summer Everton had to spread their funds across the squad given the huge rebuilding job Moyes faced. But this summer I would spend the bulk of the money made available by The Friedkin Group to sign a striker.
Thierno Barry has shown moments of promise, and if he can add two or three more goals to his tally before the end of the campaign, then that would represent a very decent return in his first season in English football.
But to kick-on further I cannot escape the feeling that the Blues need an upgrade up front and that could well mean cashing in on the well-liked Beto.
So, if Everton can agree a knock-down price for Grealish, I have it as four other new signings. Provided, of course, there are no shock departures.
But that's the thing. Qualifying for Europe would go a long way to convincing the club's prized assets to remain at Hill Dickinson Stadium if clubs higher up the Premier League table come calling. Moyes is right to go for it.