Everton’s international break continued to produce talking points on Friday, with encouragement for two young players, a potential midfield boost for David Moyes and another reminder of the club’s bruising history with Premier League financial rules.
Braiden Graham was among those attracting attention away from Finch Farm, while Christian Norgaard’s return to first-team training has given Moyes another option to consider when domestic football resumes.
O’Neill impressed by Graham
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill delivered a glowing assessment of Graham after working with the 18-year-old during the international window.
“Braiden’s a very talented player, a very technical player, a great finisher,” O’Neill said, revealing that Northern Ireland have monitored the Everton youngster since he was 14 or 15.
Graham already has senior international experience, but O’Neill’s comments offered further evidence of how highly the forward is regarded as he continues his development with club and country.
Harrison Armstrong has also stepped up during the break after being added to the England Under-21 squad, joining fellow Everton youngsters Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George.
The 19-year-old’s promotion followed his involvement with England Under-20s earlier in the international window.
Norgaard edges closer to Everton debut
At Finch Farm, Christian Norgaard’s return to first-team training has raised the possibility of the summer signing finally making his competitive Everton debut after the international break.
The £7m arrival from Arsenal has been unavailable with a groin problem since joining the club, but has now been pictured working with the first-team group.
There has been no confirmation yet that Norgaard will be available when Everton return to Premier League action against Hull City on 11 October. His progress nevertheless gives Moyes another midfield option as the domestic programme resumes.
Vitalii Mykolenko, meanwhile, has returned to Everton after leaving the Ukraine camp early. The left-back wasn’t considered fit enough to play, with Ukraine coach Andrea Maldera saying they didn’t want to risk him suffering a more serious injury.
Everton’s PSR anger resurfaces
Away from the pitch, Manchester City’s guilty verdict has brought Everton’s own experience of Premier League financial rules back into focus.
Mark Douglas, writing for iNews, recalled a “deep and burning sense of injustice” inside Everton during the club’s 2023-24 PSR battle, when one insider told him: “We just want consistency.”
Everton were initially deducted 10 points before that punishment was reduced to six on appeal. A separate two-point sanction followed, meaning the club ultimately lost eight points during the season.
Douglas reports that some inside Everton felt the club had been made an example of while the considerably more complicated City proceedings continued.
The two cases are very different, but City’s guilty verdict has ensured the question of consistency raised at Everton three years ago is being discussed again.
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