Everton have been credited with interest in more than 40 players already
Most rumours will fade, but a handful look genuinely close to happening
Read Everton ranks every name by how real the interest actually is
The silly season is well and truly in full flow. If you’ve lost track of who Everton have actually been linked with this summer, you’re not alone.
Between agents talking up moves, European outlets chasing clicks, and David Moyes genuinely casting a wide net while the Friedkin Group works out what it can spend, the number of names attached to the Hill Dickinson since the season ended has been relentless. It’s normal. same old. We’re as guilty as anyone.
But some of it is real. Hackney, Stones and Grealish’s return look like genuine bits of business that will (or may) get done. Most of it is noise, though – speculative agent-driven links, or names picked up by foreign outlets with no real source on this side of the Channel.
So you don’t have to, we’ve pulled together every player reported to have interest from Everton this summer, drawn from our own coverage and the wider reporting, and given each one an honest likelihood rating. We think. Possibly. Hopefully.
The full list:
PlayerPositionCurrent ClubNature of Everton’s interestLikelihoodJack GrealishWingerManchester CityEverton won’t trigger his £50m option but Moyes wants a fresh loan or cut-price permanent dealHighHayden HackneyMidfielderMiddlesbroughTalks progressing rapidly on a £20m packageHighJohn StonesCentre-backManchester City (free agent)Advanced talks over a free, lucrative homecomingHighKai HutchinsonWingerDundee United16-year-old has reportedly accepted a proposal to joinVery HighEdon ZhegrovaWingerJuventusTalks ongoing; Everton said to have been in the race longestMedium-HighGeorgios VagiannidisRight-backSporting CPViewed internally as the most attainable defensive optionMedium-HighNgal’ayel MukauMidfielderLilleSeen as ideal long-term cover as Gana Gueye winds downMedium-HighLiam DelapStrikerChelseaLoan move explored as Delap struggles for game timeMediumTyrique GeorgeWingerChelsea (loan at Everton)Familiar quantity; deal depends on Chelsea’s asking priceMediumMarc CasadoMidfielderBarcelonaLink suggests Moyes wants more defensive control in midfieldMediumLois OpendaStrikerRB LeipzigCompeting with Juventus for a forward Leipzig may sellMediumLucas HerringtonDefenderColorado RapidsSpecific, fresh link with no progress reported yetMediumKarl Etta EyongStrikerLevanteEnquiry made, but Ipswich have the head start in talksMedium-LowCrysencio SummervilleWingerWest Ham UnitedOne name floated as cover if Grealish doesn’t stayMedium-LowJarrod BowenWingerWest Ham UnitedInterest noted but fee/wages seen as a serious obstacleLowBen WhiteDefenderArsenalWould improve the squad but financially a stretchLowGabriel JesusStrikerArsenalSame caution applies — wages likely prohibitiveLowNathan AkéDefenderManchester CityQuality obvious, price and wages probably not realisticLowHarry WilsonMidfielderFulhamOne mention in broader May round-up, no follow-up sinceLowAaron Wan-BissakaRight-backWest Ham UnitedNamed once as a possible full-back optionLowTomas SoucekMidfielderWest Ham UnitedNamed once, no clear pathway to a deal sinceLowNeco WilliamsRight-backNottingham ForestNamed once in a list of full-back possibilitiesLowEl Hadji Malick DioufLeft-backWest Ham UnitedNamed once, nothing concrete to suggest progressLowJayden OosterwoldeDefenderFenerbahceOne mention among several defensive names in MayLowDiego LeiteCentre-backUnion BerlinOne mention, unlikely to develop furtherLowRadu DragusinCentre-backTottenham HotspurSpeculative link given limited Spurs game timeLowFederico GattiCentre-backJuventusNamed once among several centre-back optionsLowGabriel SaraMidfielderGalatasarayOne mention, no signs of a concrete approachLowIssa DoumbiaMidfielderVeneziaSpeculative midfield name with little sinceLowIvan ToneyStrikerAl-AhliMentioned once; a Saudi return looks unlikelyLowArtem DovbykStrikerRomaOne mention among a long list of forward optionsLowTaty CastellanosStrikerWest Ham UnitedNamed once, no real momentum sinceLowAlexander SorlothStrikerAtletico MadridOne mention; profile and wages make this a stretchLowSantiago CastroStrikerBolognaSpeculative forward link with no clear progressLowJamie LewelingWingerStuttgartOne mention among several wide-attacking namesLowDario OsorioWingerFC MidtjyllandSpeculative, low-profile link with little tractionLowZuriko DavitashviliWingerSaint-EtienneOne mention, nothing concrete reported sinceLowAbdul FatawuWingerLeicester CitySpeculative name from the early-window round-upLowEthan NwaneriAttacking midfielderArsenalArsenal have no apparent intention to sellVery LowMyles Lewis-SkellyMidfielder/left-backArsenalSame situation — considered untouchable at the EmiratesVery Low
Players going the other way
A separate group of names has come up this summer not as Everton targets, but as players other clubs want to take off Moyes’ hands.
Thierno Barry has attracted contact from RB Leipzig, who would need to match Everton’s recoupment demands on their original outlay.
Dwight McNeil has interest from a relegated West Ham side, complicated by his reluctance to drop into the Championship.
Demi Akarakiri looks set for a permanent academy exit to Cagliari, and James Garner has reignited interest from Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest off the back of his first England cap before they headed off to the World Cup without him.
None of these affect Everton’s incoming business directly, but they could shape the budget and squad gaps Moyes is working with as the summer progresses.
The big takeaway
Strip away all the noise and the picture looks fairly simple: Grealish 2.0, Hackney, Stones and Hutchinson look like real, advancing business.
Zhegrova, Vagiannidis and Mukau sit just behind them as credible, attainable links rather than just wish-list contenders.
But everything below that – and there’s a lot – is the usual mix of agent talk, foreign-outlet filler and names that make sense on paper but have no obvious pathway to them becoming reality. Worth noting, not worth getting excited about. Yet.
Stay with Read Everton for the latest Everton news as the transfer window develops. For wider Premier League transfer and football coverage, visit dave.sport.