Everton have been credited with interest in more than 40 players already
Most rumours will fade, but a handful look genuinely close to happening
Read Everton ranks every name by how real the interest actually is
The silly season is well and truly in full flow. If you’ve lost track of who Everton have actually been linked with this summer, you’re not alone.
Between agents talking up moves, European outlets chasing clicks, and David Moyes genuinely casting a wide net while the Friedkin Group works out what it can spend, the number of names attached to the Hill Dickinson since the season ended has been relentless. It’s normal. same old. We’re as guilty as anyone.
But some of it is real. Hackney, Stones and Grealish’s return look like genuine bits of business that will (or may) get done. Most of it is noise, though – speculative agent-driven links, or names picked up by foreign outlets with no real source on this side of the Channel.
So you don’t have to, we’ve pulled together every player reported to have interest from Everton this summer, drawn from our own coverage and the wider reporting, and given each one an honest likelihood rating. We think. Possibly. Hopefully.
The full list:
Player Position Current Club Nature of Everton’s interest Likelihood
Jack Grealish Winger Manchester City Everton won’t trigger his £50m option but Moyes wants a fresh loan or cut-price permanent deal High
Hayden Hackney Midfielder Middlesbrough Talks progressing rapidly on a £20m package High
John Stones Centre-back Manchester City (free agent) Advanced talks over a free, lucrative homecoming High
Kai Hutchinson Winger Dundee United 16-year-old has reportedly accepted a proposal to join Very High
Edon Zhegrova Winger Juventus Talks ongoing; Everton said to have been in the race longest Medium-High
Georgios Vagiannidis Right-back Sporting CP Viewed internally as the most attainable defensive option Medium-High
Ngal’ayel Mukau Midfielder Lille Seen as ideal long-term cover as Gana Gueye winds down Medium-High
Liam Delap Striker Chelsea Loan move explored as Delap struggles for game time Medium
Tyrique George Winger Chelsea (loan at Everton) Familiar quantity; deal depends on Chelsea’s asking price Medium
Marc Casado Midfielder Barcelona Link suggests Moyes wants more defensive control in midfield Medium
Lois Openda Striker RB Leipzig Competing with Juventus for a forward Leipzig may sell Medium
Lucas Herrington Defender Colorado Rapids Specific, fresh link with no progress reported yet Medium
Karl Etta Eyong Striker Levante Enquiry made, but Ipswich have the head start in talks Medium-Low
Crysencio Summerville Winger West Ham United One name floated as cover if Grealish doesn’t stay Medium-Low
Jarrod Bowen Winger West Ham United Interest noted but fee/wages seen as a serious obstacle Low
Ben White Defender Arsenal Would improve the squad but financially a stretch Low
Gabriel Jesus Striker Arsenal Same caution applies — wages likely prohibitive Low
Nathan Aké Defender Manchester City Quality obvious, price and wages probably not realistic Low
Harry Wilson Midfielder Fulham One mention in broader May round-up, no follow-up since Low
Aaron Wan-Bissaka Right-back West Ham United Named once as a possible full-back option Low
Tomas Soucek Midfielder West Ham United Named once, no clear pathway to a deal since Low
Neco Williams Right-back Nottingham Forest Named once in a list of full-back possibilities Low
El Hadji Malick Diouf Left-back West Ham United Named once, nothing concrete to suggest progress Low
Jayden Oosterwolde Defender Fenerbahce One mention among several defensive names in May Low
Diego Leite Centre-back Union Berlin One mention, unlikely to develop further Low
Radu Dragusin Centre-back Tottenham Hotspur Speculative link given limited Spurs game time Low
Federico Gatti Centre-back Juventus Named once among several centre-back options Low
Gabriel Sara Midfielder Galatasaray One mention, no signs of a concrete approach Low
Issa Doumbia Midfielder Venezia Speculative midfield name with little since Low
Ivan Toney Striker Al-Ahli Mentioned once; a Saudi return looks unlikely Low
Artem Dovbyk Striker Roma One mention among a long list of forward options Low
Taty Castellanos Striker West Ham United Named once, no real momentum since Low
Alexander Sorloth Striker Atletico Madrid One mention; profile and wages make this a stretch Low
Santiago Castro Striker Bologna Speculative forward link with no clear progress Low
Jamie Leweling Winger Stuttgart One mention among several wide-attacking names Low
Dario Osorio Winger FC Midtjylland Speculative, low-profile link with little traction Low
Zuriko Davitashvili Winger Saint-Etienne One mention, nothing concrete reported since Low
Abdul Fatawu Winger Leicester City Speculative name from the early-window round-up Low
Ethan Nwaneri Attacking midfielder Arsenal Arsenal have no apparent intention to sell Very Low
Myles Lewis-Skelly Midfielder/left-back Arsenal Same situation — considered untouchable at the Emirates Very Low
Players going the other way
A separate group of names has come up this summer not as Everton targets, but as players other clubs want to take off Moyes’ hands.
Thierno Barry has attracted contact from RB Leipzig, who would need to match Everton’s recoupment demands on their original outlay.
Dwight McNeil has interest from a relegated West Ham side, complicated by his reluctance to drop into the Championship.
Demi Akarakiri looks set for a permanent academy exit to Cagliari, and James Garner has reignited interest from Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest off the back of his first England cap before they headed off to the World Cup without him.
None of these affect Everton’s incoming business directly, but they could shape the budget and squad gaps Moyes is working with as the summer progresses.
The big takeaway
Strip away all the noise and the picture looks fairly simple: Grealish 2.0, Hackney, Stones and Hutchinson look like real, advancing business.
Zhegrova, Vagiannidis and Mukau sit just behind them as credible, attainable links rather than just wish-list contenders.
But everything below that – and there’s a lot – is the usual mix of agent talk, foreign-outlet filler and names that make sense on paper but have no obvious pathway to them becoming reality. Worth noting, not worth getting excited about. Yet.
Stay with Read Everton for the latest Everton news as the transfer window develops. For wider Premier League transfer and football coverage, visit dave.sport.