The signing of Brennan Johnson has raised more questions about the winger situation at Everton. What will David Moyes and his recruitment team decide to do?
More Videos
With Iliman Ndiaye rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia and Brennan Johnson arriving through the door, Everton have a decision to make when it comes to their wingers.
As it stands, Everton currently have four winger options: Ndiaye, Tyrique George, Tyler Dibling, and the new signing from Crystal Palace, Johnson.
The Toffees have also been heavily linked with a move to sign Manchester City winger Jack Grealish in the summer transfer window, which could take Everton's winger numbers to five.
Grealish is currently recovering from an injury sustained during the 25/26 season. Whether the English winger makes the move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium remains to be seen, but it certainly wouldn't be a surprise.
In reality, five wingers would be overkill, especially if you want the likes of George and Dibling to develop. As a result, something is going to have to give.
A rare cash-free exchange sends two wingers seeking fresh starts as Henry Swain reveals why the Welsh international struggled at Selhurst Park ahead of Monday’s crucial medicals.roundtable.ioCrystal Palace Expert on Everton Swap Deal: McNeil and Johnson
A rare cash-free exchange sends two wingers seeking fresh starts as Henry Swain reveals why the Welsh international struggled at Selhurst Park ahead of Monday’s crucial medicals.
Everton have decision to make
When it comes to the winger situation, Everton have a decision to make.
As it stands today, Everton have four wingers, and on paper, it looks like the situation is resolved. Ndiaye rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia is a boost to the club if they are looking to keep him, meaning we have two natural right wingers and two natural left wingers in the squad.
That situation could easily change, though. There are certain situations that could change in terms of individual players.
When it comes to George, that’s obviously something that won’t change after he only arrived in the summer, while that’s also, of course, the same case for Johnson.
Dibling and Ndiaye are the two whose situations are perhaps unclear.
If another winger arrives at the club, for example Grealish, and Ndiaye remains, it could be difficult for Dibling to get game time, and a loan move would probably be beneficial.
If Grealish comes in, but Ndiaye departs, you’re looking at a nice balance of George, Grealish, Dibling, and Johnson.
If Grealish doesn’t come and Ndiaye departs, you’re left with just three wingers, meaning you’re likely going to need another to arrive through the door.
There are multiple different outcomes and moving parts which could shape what our selection of wingers looks like by the end of the transfer window.
Everton may be forced into a decision. If Ndiaye demands to leave if a Premier League offer arrives, they might part ways. If Dibling wants guaranteed minutes, they could let him out on loan.
Whatever happens, Everton have a decision to make. Push the button on Grealish, accept a potential offer on Ndiaye, allow Dibling to leave on loan, sign a new winger completely. There are multiple different options. But what is the best?
What should Everton do?
If you’re looking at this through the lens of a long-term plan for Everton, the plan should probably be to keep the four we’ve got and allow George and Dibling plenty of minutes to develop.
I can understand why many want Grealish returning. A large part of me does too. But is it best for the club? It’s a lot of money for just short-term, non-guaranteed success.
If an offer for Ndiaye arrives, that changes things. The plan then could be to bring in Grealish on loan, and spend the Ndiaye fund on full-backs. That could lead to a stronger squad overall, despite losing Ndiaye.
With Johnson arriving, the logical thing would be to stick with what we’ve got. This will, hopefully, allow plenty of opportunities for Dibling and George, while having the more experienced options of Ndiaye and Johnson.
Of course, that is a lot of inconsistency in the selection of wingers, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Everton did want that almost guaranteed creative spark of Grealish.
Either way, it certainly feels like we’re in a position where a domino effect could happen.