David Moyes watching the warm up ahead of Sunderland 1-1 Everton.
There's a storm brewing over at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and now the embarrassment of Everton's summer transfer window is plain to see on official parchment.
The Toffees have only managed to submit 19 players to fill their 25-man Premier League squad, with four of those being goalkeepers. It's a situation that has caused fury among supporters, and David Moyes will no doubt feel it too.
Prior to deadline day, the Scotsman fired a warning to the Everton board and a message of solidarity to supporters. "Their manager is an Evertonian," a frosty Moyes said through gritted teeth when asked about the prospect of losing key players. That nightmare has become a reality, and you wouldn't blame the Everton manager for walking away.
Where did the transfer window go wrong for Everton?
Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
At one point this summer, Everton looked to be sitting pretty ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The stability that has come with the return of Moyes led to a 13th-place finish last time out, just four points off the European places.
A return to European football may have come too soon for the Moyes project 2.0, but the feeling was that qualification could be a real target for the 2026/27 campaign. The additions of experienced midfielder Christian Norgaard and sought-after Championship star Hayden Hackney early in the window built on a feeling of optimism. It wasn't until the closing days of the window that the market turned disastrous for Everton.
Iliman Ndiaye had long been linked with an exit, and got himself a lucrative £65million move to Manchester City. That was no surprise.
Beto also found his way out the door, having failed to start either Premier League game this term, signing for Fiorentina. Having managed just nine goals last season, on paper that's not too big a loss.
However, to allow both players to exit without a replacement confirmed, was farcical. The duo chipped in with 20 goals and assists between them last season - a level of output that needed replacing.
Everton hoped to do that by snapping up long-term target Folarin Balogun from AS Monaco. However, hesitation over a medical ultimately frustrated the player, who pulled the plug on a move. Clearly, a move to a depleted and dithering Everton was not viewed as a step forward for the World Cup star.
David Moyes' patience running thin on Merseyside
Reuters/John Sibley
It's a very worrying predicament. Everton have a weaker squad than they did last season, which makes any sort of progress a mountain to climb. It's a thankless task for the manager.
Moyes will have had his sights set on challenging for Europe, and has now barely been left with the tools needed to get through a 38-match Premier League season. The Toffees have one centre-forward, one left-back and one right-back and are hugely reliant on a clean bill of health.
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Fees correct prior to summer 2026
Giving his take on the debacle, talkSPORT transfer correspondent Alex Crook said:
“If I was David Moyes, and this is where my heartache comes from, I think I would walk. I think he's got enough credit in the bank, he's got enough money.
“I don't think he needs the hassle, quite frankly, of overseeing another relegation battle at Hill Dickinson Stadium. It's a relegation battle that, in my opinion, is all their own making.
“I think David Moyes and the Everton fans have been badly let down and I think he should resign.”
The Everton manager is no quitter but, should form this season start to sour, the 63-year-old will have little patience for becoming a scapegoat. Moyes made his stance crystal clear, and it's one that Everton fans understand. If he was to walk, you couldn't blame the veteran.
Jamie Vardy looks on while playing for Leicester City
Jamie Vardy looks on while playing for Leicester City