Everton defender Adam Aznou is in talks over a move to Malaga, with the 20-year-old expected to leave the club on loan before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
That is according to The Athletic, with journalist Paddy Boyland reporting that Everton and the Spanish side are discussing a deal that would see Aznou return to Spain in search of regular first-team football.
In other news, talks progressing between Everton and Malaga over a loan move for Adam Aznou
Would leave #EFC with one senior left-back, provided deal gets over line, heading into final days of window @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/itYLvU09mT
— Patrick Boyland (@Paddy_Boyland) August 29, 2026
An agreement is expected to be finalised before the deadline.
The move would give Aznou the opportunity to play regularly at senior level, something that has proved difficult to come by since his £9million move to Everton from Bayern Munich last summer.
Aznou yet to make Premier League appearance
Aznou has yet to make a Premier League appearance for Everton despite arriving at the club with plenty of potential.
The Morocco international came through Barcelona’s academy before moving to Bayern Munich, where he made his senior debut.
He spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at La Liga side Real Valladolid, gaining valuable experience in Spanish football.
However, The Athletic reported earlier this summer that Everton were open to allowing Aznou to leave on loan, with doubts over whether he was ready to play regular Premier League football.
A move to Malaga would now appear to be the solution.
Everton left with Mykolenko as only senior left-back
There is one obvious concern from an Everton perspective.
Should Aznou depart, David Moyes would be left with Vitalii Mykolenko as his only senior recognised left-back.
That makes the position one to watch closely over the final days of the transfer window, particularly with Everton also understood to be looking for another option on the right side of their defence.
For Aznou, though, regular football is arguably more important at this stage of his development than simply remaining at Everton as a squad player.
Opinion: Adam Aznou needs to leave Everton
In my view, this is the right move for Adam Aznou.
At 20 years old, Aznou needs to be playing football.
There is little point in spending another season sitting on the bench or being left out of matchday squads if David Moyes does not believe he is ready to be a regular option for Everton.
And, based on what we have seen so far, it is difficult to argue that Aznou is currently part of Moyes’ plans.
He has not made a Premier League appearance since arriving from Bayern Munich and Everton are now apparently prepared to send him out on loan for a second successive season.
That tells us plenty.
It doesn’t necessarily mean Moyes has written Aznou off. Far from it. The whole point of a loan should be to give a young player the regular competitive football required to come back better equipped to challenge for a place.
But Aznou cannot develop without playing.
A full season of regular football in Spain could therefore be far more valuable to him than another year spent on the fringes of Everton’s first team.
The hope has to be that he returns to Merseyside next summer with a much stronger claim to a place in Moyes’ plans.
For now, though, if Moyes isn’t going to give him the game time he needs, Aznou needs to leave and get it elsewhere.
A chance for Aznou to prove himself
The Malaga move could ultimately prove to be an important stage in Aznou’s Everton career.
Rather than viewing a loan as a sign that the club have given up on him, Everton should see it as an opportunity to accelerate his development.
Regular starts, responsibility and consistent senior football should give Aznou the chance to show exactly what he can do.
And if he impresses in Spain, Everton will have a much clearer decision to make next summer.
For now, however, the priority should be simple: get Adam Aznou playing.