An overview of Everton's position in the transfer market as the club's summer business ramps up
Atalanta and Italy's Raoul Bellanova is one of the right-backs Everton are considering
Atalanta and Italy's Raoul Bellanova is one of the right-backs Everton are considering (Image: Luigi Canu/IPA Sport/SmartFrame)
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Everton’s summer has suddenly taken off, with the Blues making headway on two players in recent days.
After weeks of dialogue, the club found a breakthrough with Middlesbrough over Hayden Hackney at the weekend and a deal has now been agreed, pending some final formalities.
Providing there is no late drama, the 24-year-old Championship player of the year will become Everton’s second summer signing for an initial fee of around £16.5m.
His arrival would provide a boost for the club and manager David Moyes, who targeted central midfield as one of several areas in need of strengthening at the end of the campaign.
A deal for Hackney is unlikely to signal the end of business in the middle. Everton would still be interested in a defensive midfielder to anchor the team, while his arrival will have an impact on some of his team-mates.
One who has already been the subject of attention is Tim Iroegbunam, who ended last season as Moyes’ primary back-up central midfielder and impressed in the absence of the injured Idrissa Gueye, particularly in his man-of-the-match display in the home draw with Manchester City.
Ipswich Town tracked the 23-year-old towards the end of last season and fellow Premier League newboys Hull City have also considered him as an option as they seek to build a team for the top flight.
The Blues rebuffed interest in Iroegbunam from Lazio in January but, having already sealed a permanent deal for loanee Merlin Rohl, now look crowded in the centre. Attention may well be paid should serious interest in the former Aston Villa prospect arise, while the player himself would be justified in believing he should earn opportunities next season given the way he enhanced his reputation last year.
It will also be a big season for starlet Harrison Armstrong, who broke into the first team under Moyes after starting the season on loan in the Championship with Preston North End. The England youth international struggled for minutes towards the end of the season and, with the signing of Hackney, will deserve assurances over his pathway at a time when other clubs are tracking developments to see whether there is an opportunity to prise a major talent away from the club that raised him.
Gueye’s contract has now expired and while he remains at the World Cup with Senegal, that will be his immediate focus. The club has engaged with his representatives and both parties are understood to be comfortable with the state-of-play.
Should a concerted effort be made to keep him in Royal Blue it would be with a view to reducing the reliance on the veteran, who turns 37 in September. However, something Gueye may not wish to countenance.
As well as Hackney, Everton are making progress in talks with Chelsea over a deal for Tyrique George. The ECHO reported last month that the Blues were keen to make his move permanent if his parent club were willing to re-negotiate the terms set out in his loan agreement. That process is now underway and the potential is there for the 20-year-old, liked by Moyes, to return to the club he ended last season with.
The same outcome remains a possibility for Jack Grealish, who has returned to light training after the stress fracture that ended his season in January. The 30-year-old continued his rehabilitation at Finch Farm even after his team-mates left following the end of the season and the club entered the summer open to discussing whether another loan move could be agreed with Manchester City.
Elsewhere, Nathan Patterson’s future will now come under scrutiny following Scotland’s exit from the World Cup. The right-back has suffered a torrid time with injury since moving to Everton in January 2022 and his future is likely to be away from the club after successive managers opted to play team-mates out of position instead of utilising the former Rangers man, who did not start a game after impressing in the 1-0 win at Aston Villa in January.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 14: Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham United is challenged by Rayan Ait-Nouri of Manchester City during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at London Stadium on March 14, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be a right-back option for Everton (Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Right-back remains a position of priority for the Blues this summer, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Raoul Bellanova of Atalanta among the options considered. Another, Guela Doue of Strasbourg, is likely to prove too expensive as his reputation has continued to grow over the summer.
Moyes ended last season with a dilemma over his strikers. Thierno Barry and Beto scored 17 Premier League goals between them - not enough for him to rule out a move for a forward if he believed an improvement was available for a reasonable fee, with Moyes still a fan of Chelsea’s Liam Delap, who Everton attempted to sign last summer. Should the club agree a permanent deal for George it could pave the way for a loan agreement for the forward.
Barry and Beto did show enough in the second half of the season for the Blues to feel they can avoid a tough striker market if better options do not emerge, however.
The club has taken heart from RB Leipzig’s enquiry over Barry, seeing it as vindication of their belief the striker has the attributes to develop into a top-flight forward given the German side's reputation for helping players to progress.