Rumour Mill — Week of 13 July 2025

Let's divine who ends up where then!

That's some list of possibilities and some undisclosed names might yet bolster this. My tea leaves haven't settled yet, so no predictions, keeping faith with a first choice right-back, a storming wing back would be excellent, better still a handed pair.

A pacy right winger with proven quality delivery, goal contribution and dead ball delivery.

Midfield needs a maestro or a general, both would be interesting but that's for the future. Spend well, Everton, quality counts.

Minor point but the Finney, Van Schoor and Thomas have signed 2 year deals, don't know about the other U-18s.

In terms of what's needed for the senior squad I think we still need 5 additions, cover at GK, a starting RB (assuming Moyes doesn't fancy Patterson), cover at LB, RW and CM.

If we got some additional loan players in we could perhaps let Armstrong and Chermiti go on loan

It’s pretty frustrating that as time dribbles away,unlike the Barry deal,no information from the club is forthcoming about progress on other signings.
Obviously we cannot start the new season with only the players we have now,so there must, ( hopefully),be a hive of activity going on behind the scenes which the club is keeping close to its chest!!
That’s what I’d like to believe,but just don’t get why the signing of Barry was trumpeted for weeks before it happened and then nothing!
It’s just like last season when we had no money to spend,but this year,with allegedly with a few quid to throw on the table still nothing concrete seems to be happening.
Maybe they’ve lost Ashley Youngs phone number!!

Never thought I'd say this, but I miss Thelwell. Moyes has never been dynamic in the transfer market and despite what people say, he will be heavily in control of this atm.

MK said it best when he wrote his never go back article. I am getting feelings of deja vu.

I'm not surprised Moyes did what he did last season, he's a talented manager with 1 big flaw that stops him being a winner. He freezes when it matters.

I can't see that has changed and I feel my optimism draining away.

We've just changed the recruitment set-up and people are expecting immediate signings. Weird.

Optimism draining away !!!!!!

We’re 5 weeks away from the start of our season.

7 weeks until the end of the transfer window closes

2 signings made
A 3rd about to happen
Plus more to come

Branthwaite signed to a new contract
Gana signed to a new contract

Back room changes

Brand new stadium to open

As they say, it’s the hope that kills you.
Gemini e question - how many players have other clubs signed and were they in similar dire straits compared to Everton, financially and in terms of low numbers? You can’t blame transition - that’s a piss poor excuse. They knew the job at hand otherwise they wouldn’t have taken it.

Genuine

I’d personally rather we sign the players that are number one targets than satisfy people’s lust for early transfers, like Burnley etc

If by the time the transfer window ends we have only signed 3 players I’ll be concerned.

As usual totally ignored
I would seriously look at Nector Triantos at Sunderland
On loan at Hibs last season. Centre half put in to midfield and a revelation

Would spend a million and buy Lennon Miller from Motherwell. Send him straight out on loan to an EPL team for first team footy
One for the future

I'm not really concerned what other clubs are doing Nick.

I'm with Ryan on this and rather than buy for the sake of it, focus on who we have identified.

Not sure about that John, although you must have seen those two mentioned. I've never heard of either.

I'm not sure Sunderland would be selling as they come up. Unless they don't think he's good enough for them in the Premier League.

I watch the odd game in Scotland on the and it's enjoyable, but I'll have to rely on our Scottish brethren to make judgement.

Good shout on Lennon Miller John.

Ryan@10
If we have only signed 3 players be the time the transfer window ends you’d be right to be concerned.
We need at least another 5 or 6 plus loanees just to replace the ones we’ve lost.
Branthwaite was already under contract, so only Gana and Keane were re signees
I take take it the 3rd signing you refer to is a backup keeper for Pickford
Back room changes and a new stadium doesn’t hack it. We need a team.

For me it’s progress Stu. The takeover, the new stadium, naming rights, contracts for Branthwaite, the, on what’s the fave of it, quality appointments behind the scenes.

I think a few would have thought Branthwaite would leave. For me it’s a massive plus he’s staying

It’s 7 weeks to get what 5 more players in.

Things will pick up this and next week.

I’m happy they’re doing things behind closed doors and most things are not getting leaked

I am as disappointed as everyone else, in all promising (alleged) links seem to choose elsewhere. The reality is, we are NOT the Everton we were 40 years ago !

Most potential targets want Champion's League/Euro involvement from their suitors. All is not lost though I feel, especially if we target players who are almost unknown, but have potential to become the players we want them to be.

Risky business possibly, but better to have shelled out a small or modest fee, only to discover the player won't quite cut it with us, than to have paid a hefty fee and found the same !

I know it's early doors for the new Recruitment Team, but they would not appear, up to now, to be as good as Thelwell was. Again, hopefully, they may prove me wrong !

Bobby #6 - that's not an excuse. It's why I say Moyes is in charge of recruitment atm and that's why it's slow.

Evidence of that, please, Stu?

#17 Stu

It quite obviously is.

Basically, you don't like Moyes. That's about it.

We will be doing business until late in the window. I expected this when we changed the recruitment up.

I suggest you temper your unrealistic expectations. We have been absolutely terrible for the last decade and are not an attractive club to play for.

Actually, like I said, I think Moyes is a talented manager.

I have no evidence other than the same feeling I had in Moyes first time with us. I'd be ecstatic if I was wrong because there is a great manager in there somewhere; history suggests he won't make it but we'll do "okay".

But I am confused why people don't see the urgency of recruitment when we need so many players and those players need to integrate and everyone needs to get used to a new stadium a new ways of working.

My biggest fear when Moyes came back was recruitment. I knew we'd be safe and move up the table, but I suspected we'd be slow to recruit and that recruitment would be uninspiring. Not bad, just uninspiring.

Hope I'm wrong, like I said.

Thanks John,

I thought the U18s were only signing for 1 year but seems they are all 2-year contracts?

Meanwhile, in the real world, seems we met the £30m asking price for the Porto winger Francisco Conceicao and been turned down by the player as he only wants to join Juventus where he spent last season on loan.

Fascinating if true, Bobby... only because Conceicao is a name that has appeared nowhere on Michael's Rumour Mill list or in any media until the last few hours, which means we put in an offer on a player none of us had heard a word about.

TFG appears to be doing some serious business on the down-low. I like it.

Looks like we’ve missed out on bakayoko, really wanted him as he would of brought a lot of what we don’t have and desperately need

If you miss out on kubo I’d go for fellows and try get Chukwueze ( yes him again ) on loan, not the big signings we’d like but both sensible in true Moyes fashion

I know Rome wasn’t built in a day but it’s hard waiting, allowed myself to dream about adding bakayoko and Luiz into our starting 11 and was getting really excited, at my age I should know better

The reality is that we still have, even after signing/re-contracting the very few in the last week, a VERY small squad to try to once again avoid relegation next season too.

My prophesy is the Dick Stadium (as it will be "affectionately" known throughout the football world - more worldly friends assuring me that going down on the Dick is a well known sexual phrase) will on the first game that matters feature a starting eleven we've almost all seen before.

I further prophesy we'll only sign one or two more on loan or otherwise in the hours before the window closes.

Bitter as those in charge have made me in my allegiance to the club in the second half of my entire 70 year life - and WE weren't ever close to legendary status in the first half of it by the way - I just hope that Friedkin attends the first game and that the last song before "Z Cars" is "We Won't Get Fooled Again!"

At maximum volume!

Don, in some Latin speaking circles ie Oxbridge, our new home is being referred to as the, ‘Biggus Dickus Stadium’. On Twitter I’ve seen it called, the Hickory Dickory Dock Stadium. For me it will always be the BMD. No doubt we’ll be on the receiving end of countless puns this season but we are used to being belittled and laughed at.

As for transfer rumours; there aren’t any really. I don’t know if we’ll have a sudden influx of players or our traditional policy of dribs and drabs will continue. I think the latter but I’m hopeful I might be wrong.

The Athletic reporting “ 16-year-old central defenders John Dodds and Reuben Gokah, from Hearts and Charlton Athletic respectively, are expected to join the club’s under-18 setup in time for the new season.”

It appears that it’s very difficult out there in the transfer window world for us.
There are now many clubs in the EPL with plenty of money to spend.
We are no longer looked at as a club that will challenge for honours by young footballers who have only known us as a mediocre,not often in Europe, club.
Any young player that we are fortunate to sign will consider us as a stepping stone to a successful team.

It is undoubtedly a challenge Andrew, but anything is possible.

But we have also just signed a young player who could have stayed at Villarreal, who have qualified for the Champions League next season.

Will he use us as a stepping stone? Who knows? But he's on a 4 year contract, so the club is pretty well protected in getting a return of investment if he hits it off.

Apparently Ipswich turned down £35m for Hutchinson. Good player with high potential but not sure I'd want us paying more than that for him. Better value elsewhere.

Bobby, he's a very good player. A player we should still follow if it doesn't work put at juve.

Even rumours from reliable sources are very much non-existent right now.

The only one remotely linked to Everton was that apparently Watford might be taking the now 40-year-old Ashley Young back to where he started.

Huge caveat, I said 'reliable'. That was on TalkSport as I went to fetch dog food this morning.

They also discussed Liverpool's alleged pursuit of Isak for something in the region of a reported £130M. Apparently Newcastle will resist, with that coming from Eddie Howe.

If there's any truth, it would be interesting to see who wins that one. Player, Manager or Owners?

Who do you mean, Don, when you refer to 'those in charge'?

Jack Harrison will sign, Sam.

I think you might be right, Ryan.

I hope your confidence doesn't come to realisation, Ryan.

I don't like to needlessly criticise players, certainly not descending into personal insult. I try to keep it relevant to performances in each game, and for all his admirable work rate and effort, he just wasn't very good most of the time.

I was fair with him and even gave him man of the match against Palace away (I think). He also played okay against Bournemouth in the FA Cup defeat against Bournemouth, hitting the post from a free kick, which I don't think he meant, but it would have been spectacular but for an inch or two and got us back in the game.

Thanks for his endeavours during a difficult time, but not for me.

Random link now to Samuel Lino at Athletic Madrid. Very decent player. No idea if there's substance to it but hope so.

Ryan, Danny, Jack Harrison commits and puts in heaps of effort but, I'm afraid, has no end results to spring that hint of magic that is needed when it comes to crosses and/or shots. I like the guy but, IMO, we need to move on.

That's what I said Bob!!!

Danny #31, I remember our neighbours last record sum purchase of a striker from Newcastle and it didn't work out too well.

So I hope this one goes the same way!

Eric #39, the beauty of that transfer was Newcastle knew they had the Suarez cash, and insisted all £35m was paid up front!

Bayern Munich offered £43m plus £4.4m in add-ons and a 10% sell-on clause to Stuttgart for Germany striker Nick Woltemade, 23, but the bid was immediately rejected. (Sky Sports Germany

Glad we moved on.

I really hope Jack Harrison doesn't sign.

I think we're ready to move onto the emergency transfer targets Robert and he's an example of what's still to come.

So many rumours but nothing concrete.

I just hope things are happening secretly and we will be pleasantly surprised.

Just heard McAtee is back in England from Frankfurt, so maybe a possibility of opening talks with Man City there?

I have not heard if any provisional agreement has been reached with Frankfurt.

I don't think we will be in for Hutchinson.

Ipswich have turned down a £35M offer from Brentford for winger Omari Hutchinson.

I am becoming increasingly worried, as to a rumour that won't go away. I know they are mostly clickbait/shite etc, but this one keeps rearing it's extremely ugly head. No smoke without fire?

Allegedly, going back in for Jack (the kack) Harrison. If it's to help cutting the grass, or cleaning the toilets, then Yes, no problem, but anything football related, a definite No!

Don # 46 it is also being reported that Hutchison's release clause expired on June 30th so I guess he is staying at Leicester or getting them a very high fee.

‘There's been a lot of work transfer-wise for very little incoming action."

Eddie Howe today.

Juve supposedly in for Rashford and Sancho.

Could leave Conceicao available…

Bloody hell — that's some list, Michael! I wonder how many of them are actually on the club's radar? Very few of them most probably.

Resigning Harrison would be a hugely disappointing event to me. I hope we have moved on from players whose only attribute is two Duracell batteries shoved up his backside, a Duracell Bunny with its head chopped off.

Not remotely good enough. Like those we let go, few have found a new home, I understand the reasons to keep Keane as cover in case Tarkowski has longer-term issues but not the bunny.

James McAtee has been spotted in a hotel in Liverpool. This is being reported by the Red Echo…

Ex-Everton chief makes James McAtee transfer claim as Juan Roman Riquelme memories evoked

I hope it wasn't the Adelphi Rob, or he'll have enough on the first train back to Picadilly!!

Joking aside Danny, but this kid looks like he can really play football, the school of science way!

The Liverpool hotel story is being speculated elsewhere too.

It seems as if if he is likely to leave City.

If rumours are to be believed, Premier League competition will come from Forest, flush with money after the sale of Elanga and he plugs that gap for them. They can offer European football, at least for a season, but I can't see that if the player is thinking long-term.

But he's also attracting interest from the Budesliga and Serie A.

Here's hoping.

I don’t think he’s a wide player Danny, but maybe he could replace Gibbs-White, because he looks a lot more effective inside?

Hopefully his uncle Alan, has spoken to him from beyond the grave, to tell him all about Everton, because I’m sure he would be a fantastic addition to our squad 🤞

Anyone watching the woman’s game? She could have won it for England, by showing a little bit more awareness in the last minute, but the effort out of the centre forward, Russo, has been incredible. She has rarely stopped running and her running is very powerful, I hope her endeavour gets her the winner, and I hope our new French, centre forward, Barry, has got exactly the same attributes🤞

Russo never stops Tony.

Thought she should have squared it to the player on her left who was completely free, with that chance.

He can play both Tony, but I'd agree, he's better central.

Fits the type of player Moyes has liked. Leon Osman springs to mind. For me, better in the middle, but often used wide.

It be a really great signing. And reinforces the front 3 behind the striker.

They can all interchange, so no need to be ridgid.There will be 2 behind them to cover.

Wow, I can’t remember the last time I saw so many poorly taken pens.

Got to be the worst pen shoot out of all time. Enjoyed the game though and the effort both teams put in was immense.

Got to feel for that teenage Swedish player who skied the deciding penalty over the bar.

A penalty shootout for the ages for England and Sweden women.

14 taken 5 scored ! 3 - 2 England through.

That’s why I wrote awareness rather than composure Liam!

Yes Danny, McAtee would be another of those midfielders who can play inside or out.

We already have a few of these interchangeable players in our squad, with my own opinion being that you can never have enough of this type of player.

Not like the time we just signed loads of number tens!

I was thinking the same. Great effort from both teams, but a shocker of a penalty shoot out.

Entertaining though.

This tournament bodes well for promoting the women's game.

Hopefully the blue girls can carry the momentum to Goodison.

On the Jack Harrison rumour, I was wondering about that likelihood when I read he’d been holidaying with Charly Alcaraz.
He may be useful for keeping Charly grounded and focussed so, if dirt cheap and a squad padder-outer only, I wouldn’t be disgusted by him being signed. If he’s signed because we can’t entice someone better then it would be a major disappointment.

Apparently there is no chance of getting Harrison on a free. They are looking for £10M. Good luck with that.

I thought we had tried the Harrison experiment and it didn't pass mustard. there is surely better quality out there. Dig deep TFG and get the calibre of player we need rather than fill holes.

Jack Harrison, the winger who can't dribble, shoot, cross and is slow.

2 years of watching him struggle to control a ball was more than enough.

If Charly wants a translator to help him order his bacon and eggs, then he is the man.

I see Kyle Walker-Peters might be going to West Ham Utd for free. What is wrong with us? We are screaming out for a right-back.

This lad is decent and we are, once again, failing to make a move. This club drives me mad sometimes.

There are rumours now that Villa are interested in taking Luiz back there.

Colin @67,

If he's on a free, I would make a guess that we will have inquired.

And if what you have read is true, then maybe it's down to the player's choice.

West Ham finished in a similar position to Everton last season (one place separating us). And he's a London boy, which may give West Ham the edge.

Jay #48, if other clubs think the release clause is too high, they are going to offer lower.

Didn't we just do that with Barry?

Kyle Walker-Peters has agreed to join West Ham Utd.

Great, Stephen. Moyes will go for Coufal, Kyle Walker, or maybe even Hibbo.

He loves his tried and trusted.

Kyle Walker's off the table Colin. Gone to Burnley

Colin mate I don't get it either, getting KWP on a free would have give us more coin to strengthen elsewhere. He is a good player and immediately strengthens our team 🙄

I mean there's always the chance that we were an option for him and he said no thanks.

Steve @74,

What I said @69. There could be a home-boy decision if he's gone to West Ham.

I know he was at Southampton, but that's hardly relocation. On a good run, I can be there from where I live in about an hour, give or take traffic.

There were rumours that Kyle Walker-Peters's wage demands were quite high. Could be that we thought there were better options elsewhere.

He would have been a useful squad player but let's see who we get for right-back.

I think Everton probably looked at Kyle Walker-Peters's wage expectations v his talent, then decided to pass. Let's be honest, he is a average right-back for a relegation team.

No Premier League clubs seriously tried to sign him when he commanded a fee, therefore why chase him simply because he is a free transfer?

We really have to improve quality and standards in our recruitment now TFG are the owners. If not, we will keep scraping along at the lower half of the table.

If that is what David Moyes and the recruitment team are doing by passing on Kyle Walker-Peters then fine by me.

Kyle Walker-Peters is no big loss.

Agree, Steve,

A below average defender and by all accounts wants London anyway.

Swerve.

Kyle Walker-Peters would only be a good option because our present right-back options are so terrible.

He would be an improvement definitely… but without actually being particularly good.

Not worth worrying about. Hopefully we will hear that Soucek is also a no goer.

These sort of signings will do nothing to progress the team. Please no journeyman signings.

Exciting young players only. Let's build a force to be reckoned with. Let's take the long view — build for the future.

A marginal improvement on terrible is usually pretty bad!

Andrew @82,

We already have the nucleus of a young team, blended with experience. O'Brien, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Armstrong.

Between them, an average age of 23.

We can't hang around endlessly chasing the end of the rainbow. We need to win something soon. Ideally next season. If not, certainly the one after. Time waits for no-one.

There is nothing wrong with bringing in established and experienced players to go alongside what we have in my opinion.

As Evertonians we all know that Moyes will end up signing Coufal, Soucek, and Harrison — so just get on with it so we all get used to it.

Keep Armstrong here, don't loan him out and he will ‘be like a new signing'.

I think he's rubbish but would rather keep Patterson than buy Kyle Walker-Peters.

Letting Young go is more baffling by the day.

Armstrong has done enough for me Ryan, both in his brief appearances for Everton and his loan spell at Derby, to keep him with us for this coming season.

He can and will feature and I don't fear throwing him in. More importantly, he won't fear it either.

I don't see the point in loaning him out again, Danny. He's done his Championship loan and apparently excelled.

We will need him for numbers and he'll get chances.

KWP
Kyle Walker-Peters has agreed to join West Ham on three year deal, here we go!

Stadium :
The Dixie.

Another to file and forget Stephen @89.

I personally don't like that name David @90.

For me it's the Everton Stadium. Thats what club were calling it before naming rights.

Officially, for as long as they are around, it will be referred to by the club by the sponsor's name. Some will call it Bramley Moore Dock.

It is Bramley Moore Dock, you can’t really make these things up, the name is there naturally.

Anyone advocating anything “Dixie”-related should do a bit of Googling.

The historians will have to back me up or correct me here, but from I've read and watched over the years, William Ralph Dean didn't like the tag Dixie.

Far be it from the solution we are seeking, I believe that Garner has acquitted himself very well, when playing RB in the past.

So, if Armstrong replaces him in CM we might have our RB solution already in house?

Obviously, we still need to get further back-ups in for the other critical postions that have been identified.

However, with Jake O'Brien also available as a RB back up, things might not be as bad as previously thought.

The one thing we do know about DM is that he likes "versatile" players, who can cover more than one position.

Hugh. I agree with what you're saying about Moyes liking versatile players.

Garner can stand-in at right back, as can O'Brien, but it's not their position.

On Garner, although different players and different characters, in a way, he reminds me a bit of Phil Neville in terms of positions and versatility.

Danny, you are right on post #93, Dean disliked the “Dixie” tag as it referred to his (darkish) skin colour.

As for Phil Neville, you are right. He was versatile. He was also useless, in my opinion, in whatever position he played in.

There is a rumour that we are actually dormant in the transfer market. No smoke and certainly no fire.

Colin #96, "Fizzer" was great at pointing though.

If memory serves me right, wasn't his last appearance for Everton in the FA Cup home humiliation against Wigan? Pulled at HT, and I don't recall he played again in Moyes' last few fixtures?

The team of the 80s had Alan Harper as "Mr. Versatile" - but that was when there was only one or two outfield substitutes. Having versatility today is essential if you have a small squad.

I'm old school - but I see it as being a sign of a very good footballer. Some of us will remember when we signed Ian Snodin from Leeds (who turned down Satan's XI for us!), he looked like a fish out of water in midfield. Then circumstances forced he was tried at right back, where he excelled - to the point he was called up to the England squad as a right back - before the hamstring injury that so blighted his career flared up.

Bit harsh on Phil Neville, Colin!

Never my favourite player but not sure he was useless? 59 England caps, 6 league titles, 3 FA Cups and a Champions League at United and 500 odd Premier League appearances would suggest he had something going for him?

Although tbf to you, it wasn't his first touch or passing ability 🤣

Neville was great at pointing and barking out orders. His post match interviews were extremely well scripted after every loss, or poor performance, “we are all disappointed and must do better”, “we are determined to turn this around” etc…

He did score some good own goals and that tackle on Ronaldo was legendary. For the life of me, I will never understand how or why he had such a long career as he was bang average.

Liam, 6 league titles alone is pretty much an incredible standout. Ferguson wouldn't have had him so long if he was not up to scratch.

I'm not sure why he got so much stick at Everton. He put the effort in even when the team were dreadful.

On Phil Neville, I thought he was a decent player. Not the best, but as others have pointed out, his record speaks for itself.

The one thing I always liked about him was his leadership on the pitch. In that team at the time, his presence was missed when he wasn't on the pitch.

And he used to wind the Kopites up!!

I wish we had Phil Neville now, he could play both full-back positions and was a decent midfield player.

Seamus Coleman spoke very highly of Phil Neville helping him to fully learn the full back position.

Neville, was a product of the ultra professional Manchester United, and came through with a group of players, who all knew how to get the most out of themselves.

Good enough to earn all those major honours at United because of his versatility, but never good enough to ever make a position his own.

He was probably a better footballer than his brother (I’m sure he was selected at right back ahead of his brother, the day united done the domestic double at Wembley, against their white suited opponents?) but I think his brother was more successful because he had a lot more inner belief and desire.

He suited Moyes, both decent, both hardworking, but I think both of them lacked that natural confidence or real inner belief when it really mattered?

That’s very subjective but I always think back to Philip talking about the half-time team talk, when Everton had Liverpool on the ropes in the fa cup semifinal at Wembley, even though it depresses me.

Tony (104),

I thought Phil Neville was a decent versatile player but like you said I thought he was a “Jack of all trades and master of none” — although, as John (@102) says, he would be very welcome in the squad now.

It's a real conundrum. Some managers love a versatile player. Others would rather they specialise in a certain position.

From the player's perspective, as mentioned, it becomes difficult to make a position your own if you continuously get moved around the pitch.

I get needs must, but one a player gets that tag, it's hard to shift.

Pros and cons I suppose. Some just want to be on the pitch regardless of where. Others want to play in their preferred position.

John #102, a decent midfield player?

I remember him getting pelters on this website whenever he played in midfield.

This website and others, Eric.

Memory plays funny tricks sometimes.