Everton saw their squad depth tested on the opening weekend of the new 2025/26 Premier League season.
David Moyes will be keen to see some new faces land in time for the upcoming game on Sunday against Brighton & Hove Albion.
There are some glaringly obvious positions that need addressing at Everton.
Vitaliy Mykolenko was absent through injury, which he picked up during the final friendly against AS Roma.
Adding to that, Everton remain in search of a new right winger, with Carlos Alcaraz forced to play out wide on Monday in Yorkshire.
Speaking to Everton News, chief transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey has revealed one right-back who Everton have on their radar.
Leeds United v Everton - Premier League
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Everton interested in Manchester City’s Rico Lewis
Moyes is dealing with injuries on both sides of his defence, with Nathan Patterson also suffering through injury.
Jake O’Brien played at right-back on Monday night, but Everton also have Jarrad Branthwaite missing in the centre.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
Everton News’ transfer correspondent Bailey has now shared Everton’s stance on an ambitious move for Manchester City’s two-time Premier League winner, Rico Lewis.
“Everton are one of the clubs alerted to Lewis’ situation, in that his people were looking at options,” he said.
“They are talking about a new contract but wanted to assess what the market looked like. This included Forest and a few others but also Everton.”
Everton worked a quick deal to sign Jack Grealish with Man City, but this could prove a much more difficult agreement to land.
This would certainly be a potential move that would offer yet another statement of intent from the Friedkins in the market.
Pep Guardiola expected Rico Lewis to stay at Man City
Everton are not the only club to have shown an interest in Lewis, with Nottingham Forest also keen to sign the defender.
However, he is not a player being pushed out of City like Grealish was in search of more regular minutes.
Lewis started at the weekend under Guardiola and helped himself to an assist for Erling Haaland’s first goal of the game.
Speaking after their convincing win, Guardiola told the media that he expects Lewis to stay at the club.
“I think he’s going to stay, I think. He told me that. But, I said, maybe tomorrow, after tomorrow, it’ll change,” said Guardiola.
“And his [Lewis’] role, when he plays his role, Rico is an extraordinary player. The only problem I have is he’s so small. If he was taller, I would say, ‘Oh, what a player’. It’s that. Today, today, I think he’s going to stay, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”