Everton are gearing up for their second season in the Hill Dickinson Stadium
Everton will head into the 2026/27 season with a point to prove, after an underwhelming previous campaign saw David Moyes’ side finish 13th in the Premier League, while crashing out of both domestic cup competitions in the third round. With almost half the division starting the upcoming season with a new manager, the Toffees will be hopeful that their relatively settled environment will give them an upper hand over many of their opponents.
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The 2025 summer transfer transfer window was a bit of a mixed bag for the Toffees: they pulled off a real coup in landing £100m man Jack Grealish on loan, while the £25m spent to bring in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall proved to be a serious bargain. However, The likes of Charly Alcaraz and Thierno Barry failed to impress, while £35m signing Tyler Dibling simply disappeared.
This year, it’s been a fairly sedate period of post-season wheeling and dealing for the Merseyside club, with just three arrivals joining thus far in Christian Norgaard from Arsenal, Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough and Tyrique George from Chelsea - the latter of whom was on loan at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the second half of last season but made just eleven appearances.
There’s still plenty of time to get some business done, and Everton are expected to make signings in two or three key positions before the window closes on September 1st. This is how the Toffees’ £153m (a fee comprised of their existing talents’ fees and the likely asking prices of their targets) new-look XI could shape up next season, if they manage to land rumoured signings from the likes of Chelsea and Celtic.
How Everton’s starting line-up could look this season: goalkeeper and defence
Canada and Celtic star Alistair Johnston could refresh Everton's right-back slotplaceholder image
Canada and Celtic star Alistair Johnston could refresh Everton's right-back slot | Getty Images
GK - Jordan Pickford: England’s number one is head into his tenth season between the sticks for Everton, playing every single Premier League match in six of his nine campaigns at the club thus far. He’ll be Moyes’ undisputed first-choice ‘keeper again this season, ahead of Mark Travers and Tom King.
RB - Alistair Johnston: The Toffees desperately need to upgrade their options at right-back, with Jake O’Brien not a natural in that position, Seamus Coleman leaving, and Nathan Patterson looking well off Premier League quality at this stage of his career. Celtic’s Johnston has been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside, with a £14m fee mooted.
CB - James Tarkowski: Tarkowski has proved to be an excellent signing for Everton, serving as an ever-present rock in the heart of their defence. While no spring chicken at 33-years-old, the club captain has got plenty left in the tank, and will be hoping to reach the 200 appearances mark for his side by the end of the season.
CB - Jarrad Branthwaite: Back from an injury lay-off, the one-cap England international will be desperate to get through a full campaign without an further lengthy absences. He signed a new contract last summer to extend his stay with the club until at least 2030, having been the subject of continued transfer speculation for a number of years.
LB - Vitalii Mykolenko: Another experienced mainstay in the side, the Ukrainian ace is expected to remain as the Toffees first-choice left-back. That said, the club have recently been linked with a move Spurs’ Djed Spence, who is capable of playing either on the left flank or the right. He’s believed to be eager to join Liverpool instead, however.
How Everton’s starting line-up could look this season: midfield and attack
Could Jack Grealish seal his return back to Everton?placeholder image
Could Jack Grealish seal his return back to Everton? | AFP via Getty Images
CM - Christian Norgaard: Snapped up for a bargain £7m, Norgaard will be looking to reignite his career after spending the vast majority of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign sitting on the bench. He’s exactly the kind of midfielder who should thrive under Moyes, showcasing his exceptional discipline and robustness in defence during his six seasons at Brentford.
CM - Hayden Hackney: James Garner looks set to miss the start of the new season through injury, meaning Norgaard’s fellow new boy Hackney could be drafted in to start alongside him. The Toffees saw off fierce competition to sign the £24m midfielder from Middlesbrough, and will be hopeful that he can bring his exceptional Championship form to the Premier League.
AMR - Iliman Ndiaye: Everton’s Senegalese sensation’s future at the club hangs in the balance, with contract talks believed to have stalled amid plenty of interest from far and wide. So far, the club are remaining firm in their stance of not wishing to sell the 26-year-old. However, should a mega-money offer come in, it may be too tempting to resist.
AMC - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: The fulcrum of Everton’s attacking threat, Dewsbury-Hall has the potential to go from strength to strength this season, and could add to his impressive tally of eight goal and four assists in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Chelsea have made plenty of mistakes in the transfer market, and letting Dewsbury-Hall go on the cheap was a major one.
AML - Jack Grealish: Bringing Grealish back to the Hill Dickinson Stadium won’t be easy, but you can bet your bottom dollar that Everton will do their best to make it happen. As things stand, the Toffees are among the favourites to sign the England ace this summer - most likely on loan - but will have to see away competition from the likes of Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and a host of Saudi Pro League clubs to get the deal done.
ST: - Liam Delap: Things just haven’t worked out for the ex-Ipswich Town striker at Chelsea, and he’s looking increasingly likely to leave Stamford Bridge after just one dismal season. He’s likely to be available for £40m, and he’d likely do far better under Moyes in a set-up where his physicality and counter-attacking abilities would be fully utilised. The Toffees, along with Newcastle and Leeds United, are all said to be after him.
Read more:Rating every player Everton signed this season: including 8/10 genius deal and £40m flop