Everton squad assessment after 2025/26 summer transfer window

The Toffees went into their first transfer window under new owners with a lot of question marks surrounding gaps all over the pitch.

Having lost 11 players as free agents, they essentially had to rebuild their squad from scratch over the last three months.

While business was slow for the longest time and only picked up during the final throes of the window, there is a sense of job well done among Everton fans.

Chief executive Angus Kinnear had famously asked the fans to reserve their opinions and judgement until September 2nd. Now that the transfer window has officially closed, we take a deep dive into Everton’s squad and assess the ins and outs this summer.

Goalkeepers

Ins: Mark Travers, Tom King

Outs: Asmir Begovic, Joao Virginia

Having Jordan Pickford as their mainstay in goal affords Everton the luxury of not needing to overthink when it comes to this position on the pitch. The departures of Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia as free agents meant that the club needed to secure the services of a backup goalkeeper and they did that fairly early with Mark Travers joining from Bournemouth before the pre-season began.

Tom King was also brought in from Wolves to make sure the position is well covered. Travers is expected to be second in command and the 26-year-old has 82 appearances for Bournemouth, although only 24 of them in the Premier League.

Crucially, though, Pickford has begun the season in excellent shape and the England number 1 continues to bring an unprecedented level of safety between the sticks.

Defenders

Ins: Adam Aznou

Outs: Ashley Young, Mason Holgate

One of the biggest positive takeaways from Everton’s summer transfer was tying star centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite down to a new long-term deal. Speculation regarding a possible high-profile departure for Branthwaite ran rampant and ensuring his continuity was a priority for the club’s new owners, who are keen to build the project around him.

Michael Keane also signed a new deal and has started the season on a strong note following Branthwaite’s injury.

Adam Aznou was signed from Bayern Munich as an exciting prospect for the left-back role after the departure of Ashley Young as a free agent.

Of course, the biggest miss in this department comes from the absence of a new right-back. This means that Jake O’Brien is expected to continue as a makeshift right-back under David Moyes. To be fair to him, despite his deficiencies playing close to the touchline, he has done a decent job at that position. However, one can’t shake the feeling that the Blues often look limited in this area of the pitch.

It is surprising that Everton didn’t target alternatives after Kenny Tete turned down the opportunity to join the club as a free agent. 

Captain Seamus Coleman also extended his contract by a year and is an option along with Nathan Patterson, who remains at Finch Farm after a possible departure didn’t come to fruition.

Midfielders

Ins: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carlos Alcaraz, Merlin Röhl (loan)

Outs: Abdoulaye Doucoure, Orel Mangala, Harrison Armstrong (loan)

After signing Charly Alcaraz on a permanent basis following his impressive loan spell, Everton tied down the excellent Idrissa Gana Gueye on a new deal. Along with James Garner, Gueye is at the heart of the engine room for the Blues and extending his contract was a no-brainer given that he was unanimously the team’s best player last season.

Replacing Abdoulaye Doucoure with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea was another smart piece of business, as the latter brings an element of control, composure, technical ability and pace that Doucoure often lacked. Dewsbury-Hall has made an excellent start to the season and is proving to be a fascinating signing already. 

Signed on deadline day, there’s an air of mystery surrounding Merlin Röhl, who’s yet to make his debut for the club. It remains to be seen where he’s deployed under Moyes and the kind of impact he has.

If we’re nitpicking, the club could’ve probably gone for a proper defensive midfielder. Everton’s ability to see out matches and dictate tempo suffers when Gueye is not on the pitch. Moyes could’ve used additional legs to give his veteran some respite every now and then and also to provide cover during the AFCON later this year.

Forwards

Ins: Thierno Barry, Tyler Dibling, Jack Grealish (loan)

Outs: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Youssef Chermiti, Neal Maupay, Jesper Lindstrom, Jack Harrison

The frontline is where Everton have seen the biggest leap in quality compared to last season. Replacing Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom with Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling was a fantastic decision. 

One of the highest-rated prospects in England, Dibling's arrival from Southampton brought an end to an exhaustive and desperate search for a right winger, a position left vacant since the beginning of summer. 

Signed on loan, Grealish has already taken to the Toffees setup like a duck to water and has created twice the assists that Harrison and Lindstrom managed together throughout the entire 2024/25 season. His decision-making and ability to fashion out chances are unrivalled. 

Iliman Ndiaye, Grealish and Dibling also add a lot of flair, trickery, and pace on the wings and make the side a lot more fun to watch.

There’s also an interesting player in 22-year-old French striker Thierno Barry, signed from Villarreal this summer. Some of his touches and holdup play have been brilliant and while he has lacked a predatory instinct in front of goal, there’s the feeling that he will get going soon.

The competition between Barry and Beto is also expected to have a positive impact on both players, which only bears good news for Everton fans. 

Conclusion

To keep it simple, Everton’s first transfer window under The Friedkin Group has been nothing short of wonderful. Despite being faced with a lot of challenges, gaps in the squad, negotiation difficulties and trouble convincing players to join the project, Angus Kinnear and his team have managed to build a strong, competitive and enjoyable squad of players that, on paper, should be fighting for European spots.

While we could nitpick about the lack of a full-back or two as well as a pivot, the problems were too large to be fixed in one window. The Toffees could explore solutions for the remaining gaps during the January transfer window.

Overall, I’d rate the summer transfer window of 2025/26 with an 8/10. The addition of a right-back like Kenny Tete would’ve made it a 9/10, but it’s hard not to feel excited about the prospect of watching Grealish, Ndiaye, Dibling and Dewsbury-Hall ball on the pitch for the rest of the season.

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