Rating Everton's summer signings

Everton’s 2025 summer transfer window has been described by many supporters as successful for the football club and The Friedkin Group, who arrived last December. 

Not only did The Toffees have to recruit several players during the window, but there were also 11 senior departures at the end of June. Elsewhere, several players were given new contracts, notably Jarrad Branthwaite, who was tied down to a long-term contract amid interest from other clubs in the Premier League and across Europe.

The club made nine new signings across the summer, and - though patience should be granted to all signings - I’ve rated each addition as an overall signing and for their contribution on the pitch thus far.

Rating every Everton summer signing

Charly Alcaraz

Now this signing slightly differs from the rest, as Alcaraz spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton before making his move to Merseyside permanent.

The Toffees signed the 22-year-old from Brazilian side Flamengo for £12M, an option which was included in his previous loan arrangement.

​Since Alcaraz made his move permanent, he has made an impressive start to life as a full-time Toffee. During the month of August, he featured in all four of Everton’s competitive games, starting two and making two substitute appearances. Alcaraz created history by scoring the first competitive goal in a night game at Hill Dickinson Stadium, when he netted the opener in Everton’s 2-0 victory against Mansfield Town in the Second Round of the Carabao Cup.

​Overall, this has turned out to be smart business by Everton and, although Alcaraz only signed a 2-year contract, you would expect him to play a significant role for The Toffees, certainly within this season, and perhaps in years to come.

​Rating: 7/10

Thierno Barry

The centre-forward area is a position in which Everton have massively lacked over the last couple of years. Many would argue the club have yet to truly replace Romelu Lukaku, who left Everton back in July 2017, even though a lot of money has been invested in that area of the pitch. The club have opted for youthfulness in the form of Moise Kean and Sandro Ramirez, and more experienced approaches in Cenk Tosun and Salomon Rondon. However, none of those attempted solutions worked.

​This summer, following the departure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the club needed to recruit a striker to either challenge Beto or replace him within the starting XI. That search ultimately led to French youngster, Thierno Barry.

​Barry arrived from Villarreal for a fee in the region of £27M and came in with a lot of promise after a successful season in La Liga. Even at the age of 22, he arrived with a lot of experience, having played in four different countries across the last four seasons, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Spain.

​So far, Barry has been limited to 82 minutes of Premier League football. With the experience of Beto in front of him, you wouldn’t expect too much pressure to be put on the young shoulders of the Frenchman, as he’s certainly a player for the future.

​Rating: 7/10

Mark Travers

Goalkeeping depth was an area in which Everton had to strengthen this summer, though anyone arriving would be unlikely to dislodge Jordan Pickford as the club’s Number 1 goalkeeper. The departures of both Joao Virginia and Asmir Begovic meant that Everton had to recruit two goalkeepers, with the first arrival being Irish international Mark Travers.

​Travers arrived on Merseyside on a permanent transfer from fellow Premier League side Bournemouth and came with good experience for a 26-year-old keeper, having played in the Premier League previously and earned four caps for his country.

Travers has only made one competitive appearance for the Toffees, which came in the 2-0 victory against Mansfield Town. Unless Pickford gets injured, you would expect Travers’s game time to be limited, but he looks like a dependable backup. 

​Rating: 6/10

Adam Aznou

A signing that seemingly came out of nowhere, but further reports claim that the 19-year-old was a player Everton had looked at for a while. Aznou arrived from German giants Bayern Munich on a permanent transfer for a fee in the region of £9M, seemingly as a player for the future; however, at present, to provide cover at left-back for Vitalii Mykolenko.

​From the player’s perspective, his Everton career hasn’t quite gone to plan to date, with the Moroccan international yet to make a competitive senior appearance for the Toffees due to an injury sustained towards the end of pre-season. However, very similar to Thierno Barry, Aznou is very much one for the future, and you wouldn’t expect too much from him in his debut campaign on Merseyside as he eventually eases himself into the demands of English football.

​Rating: 6/10

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Having brought in several players for the future, Everton turned their attention to bringing players to improve the first XI. One of the standout signings so far has been attacking midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. ‘KDH’ arrived on a permanent transfer from Chelsea, having only spent one season with the Club World Cup winners, in which game time was limited for the 27-year-old.

​Since coming to Everton, Dewsbury-Hall has shown his class and experience both on and off the pitch and has played every minute of Everton’s opening three Premier League games. The Englishman scored his first competitive goal for the club away at Wolves at the end of August, the eventual winning goal in the 3-2 victory at Molineux.

​Overall, ‘KDH’ has been a successful signing so far and is a player that will hopefully take the club on as they look to progress up the Premier League table. Despite starting the season in the Number 10 role behind the lone striker, the midfielder can play slightly deeper should David Moyes decide to take up that option.

​Rating: 8.5/10

Jack Grealish

The standout signing of the summer is a statement not many supporters would disagree with when it comes to Jack Grealish. The England international and treble-winner joined Everton on loan from Manchester City. Everton have an option to buy the winger on a permanent deal next summer, with the fee speculated at around £50M.

​This signing has of course, brought a lot of hope and excitement from supporters and Grealish has made an instant impact on and off the pitch. Already, Grealish is reportedly the biggest shirt seller within Everton’s official club store. However, it is on the pitch where he has already proved his worth.

​Grealish’s contribution so far has been astounding, with the 30-year-old registering four assists in the opening three Premier League games. No player in Europe’s top-five leagues has managed more and he has seemingly proven many doubters wrong after a disappointing couple of seasons at Man City.

​Overall, this signing has been the best by a country mile, and you would hope that Grealish’s form can continue throughout the season. If he can maintain this level, Everton can progress up the table and be one of the surprises within the Premier League.

​Rating: 9/10

Tom King

A signing that has gone under the radar is the arrival of Tom King on a permanent transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 30-year-old goalkeeper arrived at Everton having made 200 appearances across his career and has one cap for his country, Wales.

​Due to the fact Everton already have a standout Number 1 goalkeeper in Jordan Pickford and have already brought in Mark Travers earlier in the summer, you would expect King to be nothing more than a third-choice keeper to provide experience.

​Rating: 5/10

Tyler Dibling

A transfer that almost became a saga for Everton was the signing of Tyler Dibling from Southampton. A player who enjoyed a breakthrough season last term, he was a standout in his 33 league appearances despite the Saints’ eventual relegation back to the Championship.

​Reports last season suggested that Southampton were pricing Dibling at £100M, at a time when there wasn’t any speculation that Everton were interested in the player. Late July was when the interest from Everton first arose, with Southampton wanting upwards of £50M for the youngster, as well as a sell-on clause within the deal. 

Though some Everton supporters urged the club to ‘move on’ due to that price tag, eventually, a deal was agreed. Everton signed Dibling for a fee in the region of £35M, which could rise to £40M in add-ons and does include a sell-on clause for Southampton.

​Since coming in towards the end of August, Dibling has only made one substitute appearance for the Toffees in the Carabao Cup. Again, very similar to the other young players who have arrived this summer, you wouldn’t expect much pressure to be put on Dibling’s shoulders straight away, especially with the form of the first-choice attackers in Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye. But overall, a positive signing and certainly one who will progress and hopefully be part of an exciting future for Everton on the pitch.

​Rating: 7/10

Merlin Röhl

The final summer signing for Everton came on Deadline Day with the arrival of German U21 international Merlin Röhl. Röhl, a player who the club had scouted for a while and were heavily linked with signing in January, joined on a season-long loan which includes an obligation to buy next summer.

​The 23-year-old midfielder comes in with promise, his preferred position being box-to-box, but he can also play in a defensive role and further forward. He should give David Moyes options considering this versatility. 

However, with the form of the current midfield pivot in Idrissa Gana Gueye and James Garner, you wouldn’t expect Röhl to go straight into the starting XI, but he is certainly one for the future, very much like Barry, Aznou, and Dibling. So overall, a positive signing and hopefully someone that can grow, develop, and be an important part of the future at Everton.

​Rating: 6/10

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