The Toffees are looking to bounce back next season after an underwhelming end to the 2025/26 campaign
Everton’s first season in the Hill Dickinson Stadium was one of frustration, as David Moyes’ side blew their chances of securing European football for 2026/27, after winning just one of their last eight matches of the season and subsequently finishing 13th in the Premier League table. That, combined with two third-round domestic cup exits, means there’s plenty of work to do this summer.
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The Toffees spent over £100m on new players last season - modest, compared to the likes of their Merseyside rivals Liverpool who splurged north of £400m - and their acquisitions proved to be a real mixed bag: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall thrived, Thierno Barry looked unreliable, and £40m statement signing Tyler Dibling barely played.
There was also deep frustration around the loan signing of Jack Grealish, who got off to an absolute flyer after being let off the Manchester City leash that has saw his creative flair snuffed out, only for him to succumb to a season-ending injury in mid-January. There’s still no answer regarding whether the Toffees will look to sign him permanently once his loan expires.
The pressure will be on now for Everton to get their recruitment spot-on this summer, as they look to push on and challenge for European football again next season. We’ve rounded up the latest names to be linked with big summer moves to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, ahead of the transfer window opening next week.
Six signings Everton could make this summer: Hackney to Jesus
Hayden Hackney - Middlesbrough: Boro failing to get promoted was good news for Everton, with any suggestion of the 23-year-old remaining on Teeside comprehensively snuffed out. He’s bound for the Premier League summer, and the Toffees have been widely tipped to get the deal done, with a bid in the region of £15m likely to be forthcoming.
However, there have been suggestions that Crystal Palace have now entered the transfer race, and with Middlesbrough said to be holding out for £20m, they could easily stump up the extra £5m to hijack the move. Everton need to move quickly to get this deal done, with Palace an alluring prospect themselves who can offer Europa League football next season.
Guela Doue - RC Strasbourg: Seamus Coleman is leaving, questions remain over the capability of Nathan Patterson, and Jake O’Brien simply can’t be shoehorned in at right-back for another season. Everton must strengthen in this position, and Ligue 1 hidden gem Doue looks to have emerged as a genuine target. He’s likely to cost £25m, so wouldn’t come cheap.
The 23-year-old big brother of Paris Saint-Germain talent Desire Doue is set to feature for the Ivory Coast at the World Cup, and some dazzling displays for Emerse Fae’s side will only see interest grow. He’s strong going forward as well as in defence, and would add a real element of dynamism to the Toffees’ right flank.
Gabriel Jesus - Arsenal: Everton also need a new striker, and the ex-Manchester City’s star has been tipped as a potential target for Moyes over the past few weeks. He joined the Gunners for £45m back in 2022, but has suffered with a series of injury problems particularly over the past two seasons, scoring just 13 goals between them.
Six signings Everton could make this summer: Wan-Bissaka to Wilson
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - West Ham: A cheaper alternative to Doue, Wan-Bissaka feels like a more Moyes-style signing. He’s renowned for his dogged defending, and could be up for grabs for as little as £10m with West Ham desperate to sell following their brutal final day relegation to the Championship.
Everton are understood to be keen, and could look to make their right-back signing one of the more cost-efficient areas of their summer spend, perhaps keeping money back for a more expensive striker. Wan-Bissaka could potentially have interest from elsewhere, however, with Fulham, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Sunderland all said to be keeping tabs on the DR Congo international.
Cesare Casadei - Torino: A rather left-field option, largely based on recent rumours from Italy, who have namechecked the Toffees as being keen on the ex-Chelsea midfielder. Torino signed him from the Blues last summer for a fee of around £11m, after he failed to force his way into the west Londoners’ expensively assembled midfield.
Moyes may well look to bring in another midfield alongside Hackney, as uncertainty over the futures of both Idrissa Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam persist. Casadei is a real box-to-box operator whose physicality should make him an ideal fit for the Premier League, and he could thrive if given the opportunities that weren’t afforded to him at Stamford Bridge.
Harry Wilson - Fulham: Signing Wilson would be a serious coup for Everton, especially with the Wales international set to become available as a free agent at the end of the month. He’s been offered a new contract by the Cottagers, but with Marco Silva set to join Benfica, it looks increasingly unlikely that he’ll stick around either.
Everton, along with Leeds and Aston Villa are said to be in the mix to sign him, after another strong season that saw the 29-year-old score ten Premier League goals and notch up seven assists. Villa perhaps understandably, are said to be leading the race just now, but should their attention move elsewhere, the Toffees could pounce.
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