An overview of what David Moyes and Everton want from the months ahead
David Moyes during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
David Moyes during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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Everton will go into the summer transfer market with the intention of improving David Moyes’ first XI.
The club views the window as the second stage of the major squad overhaul that began last summer and, for the manager, the main priority is to raise the level of quality within the dressing room.
That is an approach that has been influenced by the final seven weeks of the season, a winless run of games that ultimately cost Everton a shot at Europe.
Moyes believes the issues that unfolded during that period - alongside misfortune with injuries and key referring decisions, some of which have been conceded were wrong by the VAR watchdog - were not down to the size of his squad but the quality within it.
Important players who had been the bedrock of what had been shaping into a positive campaign, including Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, struggled to carry the team at the end of gruelling individual seasons in which they had dealt with an international tournament and a hamstring injury respectively.
The pressure on them to consistently deliver became painfully clear as Everton collapsed on the final push for a top eight finish after the team thrashed Chelsea in March.
As that streak unfolded much attention was paid to Moyes’ limited use of players - he used just 22 across the season, the fewest in the Premier League.
That was partly down to his side still bearing the scars of the austerity that characterised the final years of former owner Farhad Moshiri’s reign - in a threadbare squad there was only one senior outfield player who went unused, Adam Aznou.
It was, however, clear Moyes placed his trust in a core group of players who carried the bulk of the responsibility to carry out his plans and was reluctant to utilise some on the periphery of the squad.
Moyes, who likes to work with a smaller squad, did not view the drop-off in the final weeks - when Everton lost points from positive situations late in games against Liverpool, Manchester City, West Ham United and Crystal Palace - as being the result of tiredness, citing the lack of European football and domestic cup runs behind his thinking.
Instead, his attention has been drawn to issues within his first XI that he hopes to resolve in the summer. Most pertinent is the longstanding problem at right back, an area that has been problematic for years.
This was an area it was acknowledged needed addressing in the first summer window of Moyes’ second stint and of the Friedkin Group’s ownership, and an early move for Kenny Tete was embarked upon. When the Fulham defender opted to instead sign new terms with Craven Cottage, the setback was not recovered from and Everton ended another window believing they had enough players in the squad who could cover the position.
That approach has been exposed as Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson endured another season of injury issues.
The departure of club captain Coleman heightens the requirement for a new right back this summer, particularly given Moyes has become the third manager to opt against using Patterson even when he was the only specialist right back fit and available.
Moyes has repeatedly stated the club is actively looking for a right back and that search will surely end this summer. Other areas are also under review, including in midfield, out wide, at left back and up front. Thierno Barry and Beto combined for 17 league goals across the season, a reasonable haul given both endured difficult opening months to the campaign. It has not been enough to spare them from coming under review and Everton are open to signing a forward if they think they can improve their options for a fee that falls within budget.
Of the money that will be made available, Moyes is of the belief that it would be better to spend larger sums on players the club can confidently expect will take the club forward rather than split it across a number of signings designed to flesh out a small squad.
That belief is at the root of his calls for TFG to show ambition this summer - he wants the club to move forward and believes the resources and commitment for that to be reflected in the transfer market should be shown.
One boost for Moyes will be that he is under no pressure to sell his best players. While Finch Farm is braced for interest in standout players including Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner, the club is in a strong position to rebuff interest - or at least dictate the terms in which any business is done. There is a willingness to do business for some squad players, however, particularly if it helps to raise additional funds to be directed towards the first team.
Some key areas for immediate attention remain internal, as talks continue with Vitalii Mykolenko and Idrissa Gueye over their futures. Both are in the final weeks of their current deals, though the club has an option to extend their contracts. Moyes suggested ahead of the trip to Tottenham Hotspur that a new deal with Mykolenko was close.
The club also needs to engage with Manchester City and Chelsea over the respective loan deals for Jack Grealish and Tyrique George. Everton will not trigger the £50m option to make Grealish’s loan move permanent but do wish to explore whether they can call upon the 30-year-old for another season.
Moyes, meanwhile, has been impressed with George but said his future will be dependent on the impact a permanent deal will have on his wider budget. Both players will return to parent clubs under new managers, which could impact any Everton plans - though the Blues have the option to secure George should they be willing to match the terms agreed when he arrived on loan in January.
Everton’s first signing of the summer was confirmed several weeks ago when they secured survival, a feat that triggered the £18m buy obligation agreed with Freiburg for loanee Merlin Rohl.