David Moyes says Everton will miss three players against Brighton and Hove Albion in the team’s first official game at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson haven’t been medically cleared. All three players also missed the opening Premier League game against Leeds United, where the Toffees suffered a 1-0 loss at Elland Road.

“Jarrad’s on the way but not fit and neither is Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson is not fit either. Those three are not available,” Moyes said in the pre-match press conference.

“(Adam) Aznou has trained today for the first time, so we’ll see how he goes.”

The absence of Branthwaite, Mykolenko and Aznou hampered Everton’s plans against Leeds as Moyes was forced to experiment with midfielder James Garner at left-back. It once again led to criticisms about the club’s transfer window manoeuvres and lack of signings to bolster the squad.

After losing nearly a dozen players from last season, the club signed seven players with two of them being backup goalkeepers to Jordan Pickford.

Asked if there had been more progress on new deals, Moyes said, “I think I’d like to say yes. That yes might mean you’ll push me for more answers and questions over what it might be.

“I’d have to say, I think we’re trying to make a way to get more players in. We’re trying to do so.

“We’re disappointed that we’ve missed out on a lot of other players who have chosen not to come and for different reasons, have not been able to make it.

“I think there’s quite a few managers saying the same thing in the Premier League but yes, I think we’re trying to make progress at the moment – will it come off? – I couldn’t guarantee that, but we’re definitely trying to move on.”

Despite going after a number of talented players like Francisco Conceicao, Takefusa Kubo, Malick Fofana, and Tyler Dibling, Everton have failed to get these deals over the line. The Blues have been hampered by PSR restrictions in recent years and this is the first summer where they’ve found some respite.

Moyes confirmed that new owners The Friedkin Group are willing to show ambition in the transfer market, saying, “We’ve got money to spend. And we’re trying to spend it.

“We’re in there and we’ll be competitive. We’re finding it very difficult to spend the money.

“You ask me why the players aren’t coming in, and I think a lot of them are looking for Europe. We’ve found now we’ve really gone for some top players, and unfortunately, we’ve not been able to get a lot of them.

“We might be finding ourselves coming a little bit down the ladder to find players because we’re so short of numbers, generally. Maybe this is always going to be a year where we keep steady and keep ourselves correct, and do all the right things in the Premier League.”

 

Reader Comments (44)

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Martin Berry

1 Posted
22/08/2025 at
15:33:57

The manager’s demeanour did seem more upbeat than previous despite nothing being imminent from a club release.

Let’s hope we get a few nice surprises?

Andy Meighan

2 Posted
22/08/2025 at
15:39:49

Trying to get players in.

Leeds, Sunderland, Forest, Bournemouth etc seem to do it quite simply.

Once Everton has touched you, hey…

Iain Johnston

3 Posted
22/08/2025 at
15:49:01

Simple answer is to stop trying to sign players whom most of us know wouldn’t consider us at this time.

The likes of Gallagher, Fofana & Diaz would not consider us as an option – far from it and please don’t mention Grealish as he would have gone anywhere to get out of City if anyone else had been interested.

Go and have a punt on Van Ewijk, Hackney & Fellows.

Frank Crewe

4 Posted
22/08/2025 at
15:52:18

“We might be finding ourselves coming a little bit down the ladder to find players because we’re so short of numbers”

Finally figured it out eh? Surprised it took this long. Chasing after players who wouldn’t sign for us in a month of Sundays is a waste of time. 20-year-old wonder kids don’t sign for Everton. Looks like BDM wasn’t the lure the club thought it was going to be. Top players are used to playing in big stadiums. All they are really interested in are big salaries and European football. Something we are nowhere near offering.

Time to try for more realistic targets who are looking to step up. As long as Vardy isn’t one of them. Signing him would just be a desperation move.

Kieran Kinsella

5 Posted
22/08/2025 at
15:52:20

“We’ve found now we’ve really gone for some top players, and unfortunately, we’ve not been able to get a lot of them.”

So we are wasting time trying the Koeman – Walsh approach but with limited funds instead of trying to get realistic targets? Nice work, everyone.

Andrew Merrick

6 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:11:06

Missing Thelwell, how much nearer would we be to a Premier League squad if we’d kept him on another year? The interruption caused by his departure is very damaging.

And we face all the same challenges now shaping up v Brighton as we did against a limited Leeds side.

I read a few compliments here for Garner at left-back, but I saw nothing of merit in that shape, so we will now be treated to another tactical venture v Brighton, oh boy…

Tom Smith

7 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:12:13

That’s it, lads, just go and buy a load of shite, don’t bother trying to buy better players.

And when we buy a load of shite, you’ll ask “Why didn’t we try and buy better players instead of bringing this load of shite in?”

Yer can’t fuckin win whichever way yer go…

Tony Heron

8 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:12:40

I think most fans would have been happy to accept a season of stability and steady progress. But it seems, from what Moyes said, that we were looking for top quality additions.

Laudable ambition but unrealistic, which makes me wonder at the suitability of the management team to run our football club if they haven’t considered our position and our recent history.

Despite Moyes’s lament at the failure to sign targets, that’s no excuse for the team he put out on Monday or the game plan (assuming we had one). I would have liked an explanation for that in the presser.

Colin Glassar

9 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:12:49

A dose of realism from Davey Moyes there. Now after telling the world we’ve got money to spend, everyone is going to royally screw us. Dibling has just gone back up to £100M.

He’s in a difficult situation. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. I’m not sure if the players we will now target appreciate him saying they are well down his ladder.

At least he didn’t tell the world his transfer budget like he did the season we pre-qualified for the Champions League, ie “I’ve been given £20M to spend on new players”.

Liam Mogan

10 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:15:18

Really worried about the game now without a left-back.

Brightons wingers are like lightning.

Jeff Armstrong

11 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:17:29

Just happy that Aznou hasn’t been frozen out already after a pretty disappointing game against Roma, does he start? Probably be on bench with Jimmy continuing at left-back.

I’d give McNeil a go there as a natural left-footer which means Garner can replace Iroegbunam who disjoints our midfield axis of Garner and Gana. Barry up top just as an alternative to Beto, Grealish in too maybe to replace Alcaraz across the midfield.

Liam Mogan

12 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:25:03

Hopefully the manager has come up with something since Monday that will enable us to have some impact on the game.

Things could turn sour quite quick if we are served up that sado-masochistic tripe again. Not what you want for a first proper game at the shiny new stadium.

Pat Kelly

13 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:25:51

There wasn’t a single positive word in what he said. It all smacked of desperation. No indication that any deal was in the offing or possible, so, presumably, not.

If you were a player, is this the kind of situation you’d prefer if there were other options?

Could he not just have said “like other Clubs, we still expect to sign more players”. No need to make us look a complete basket case.

Dale Self

14 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:31:14

Great poker face David!

At least Dyche just babbled nonsense rather than giving up the fucking position we were in.

Mark Murphy

15 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:33:05

6 weeks ago, I’d be appalled if we were looking at Vardy. Now? I’d snatch their hand off!

That’s what exasperation (and a dose of reality) does to you.

Colin Glassar

16 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:35:40

Vardy, for a season, would make a great impact sub. He’s still quick, ice cold in front of goal and he wants prem football.

The only problem is, the Vardy family might bump into the Rooney clan at BMD.

Paul Kossoff

17 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:39:17

Manager Brendan Rodgers has dismissed suggestions of a “conflict” between him and the Celtic board and insists he will not leave before the end of his contract.

The Northern Irishman has spoken about his frustration at not being able to more comprehensively bolster his squad for an assault on Champions League qualification as well as retain their domestic dominance.

Any chance to Everton? Would we want him, as an ex red, that would make nice book ends on managers of Everton wall, him with Beneathuz.

Rodgers or Santos as next manager?

Would they do a better job than D M? That’s debatable.

Paul Kossoff

18 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:45:01

Dale 14. Dyche had one over Moyes, he wiped his nose on his hand, then wiped his hand on his head.

I actually won a bet with my son how many times he would do that in a press conference, I think it was five times. Snot true? It is!

Frank Fearns

19 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:49:45

Paul 14 Dyche did that countless times in a match and then shake hands with the opposition manager!!

Paul Kossoff

20 Posted
22/08/2025 at
16:54:15

Frank, that’s a tissue of lies, or not, as Dyche never used them.😁

Mike Gaynes

21 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:10:17

Strongly disagree, Iain #3 and Frank #4. Using up our PSR space buying mediocre players, and having to keep them around for 3-4 years, keeps us a mediocre team. If we’re gonna compete with the best, we need talent capable of doing that.

Go for quality players and, if we can’t get enough of them, fill the gaps with loans who will be gone in a year if they can’t meet our standards.

Don’t panic and don’t settle.

Brian Harrison

22 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:13:18

So we went for some quality players who obviously don’t view signing for a team not in Europe as being in their interests, and who can blame them?

This club has been fighting relegation for a number of years, so there is no immediate prospect that is going to change very soon. Moyes is now saying we are going to have to lower our expectations and that it’s going to be a challenging season, does that mean another relegation battle?

I said a few weeks back that there seemed to be a lot of optimism about us going forward. We had just had a good finish to the season and, with moving to a new stadium, with some new players, everybody was getting excited.

But, with a very poor pre-season, a failure to land most of our transfer targets, and injuries to 2 of our regular back 4 and defeat to Leeds, the optimism has evaporated and we are being told after 1 game it’s going to be a challenging season.

Let’s hope our players recover quickly from their injuries and we still manage to get some decent additions despite not having European competition to offer them.

Seeing Spurs were willing to sell Richarlison as part of their Eze bid, would we be better spending most of the money earmarked for Dibling on bringing Richarlison back? My mantra is always never go back but I think signing him would give the fans a massive lift and we would have a striker who knows where the net is.

Joe McMahon

23 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:14:56

Colin, to think, yes, years ago, but Leicester did their homework diligently and landed Vardy for £1M from Fleetwood.

Kieran Kinsella

24 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:21:00

We don’t have to panic and buy long-term crap players. But we could get stop-gaps, eg, Michail Antonio is unemployed. Offer him a year.

Get someone on loan as a right-back. Doesn’t have to be the world’s greatest but just someone who understands the role at a decent level.

Stu Gre

25 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:28:46

Or maybe they don’t want to sign for a perennial loser who looks like an aged Fraggle and talks with no positivity?

I know I wouldn’t

Paul Kossoff

26 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:29:05

Rian 22. Richarlison back, 100% yes. He would fill all the positions across the front, probably would love to come back to us. Get him in, now!

Mark Wynne

27 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:37:14

Stop signing players from teams better than us. We’ve done it for years and it rarely if ever works out.

We need to be smarter with where we look for players, not cast-offs from the Sky Six or overpriced players from relegated sides trying to cash in so they can make a tilt at promotion again. It isn’t what Brighton or Brentford did.

Either look at up-and-coming players from the lower leagues or spread the net to Europe. Otherwise, we’ll end up splurging more hundreds of millions with ridiculous wages on the book.

Dan Nulty

28 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:45:29

Seen it all now. Rodgers for manager? Go have a lie down for the whole weekend and have a serious think about what you’ve said.

And forget the Richarlison hopes.

Sam Hoare

29 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:52:12

Shame about Mykolenko. Thought he might be back in time for Brighton. Hope Aznou gets a shot. Only way he’ll get better will be with game time.

As for the transfers, it’s obviously frustrating but going after good players is the right approach. Having said that, there are a lot of decent players out there and not all of them will be demanding Europe.

Leeds got Anton Stach and Bijol, Sunderland got Habib Diarra and Talbi; Burnley got Ugochukwu; Bournemouth got Adli and Doak; Brighton got Yalcouye and De Cuyper, Brentford got Outarra and Kayode; West Ham got El Hadji Diouf.

All decent players who would have been in the starting XI against Leeds and went to teams not in Europe.

Sean Mitchell

30 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:53:53

Players won’t want to play for Mr Negative.

Go about your business in private, for fuck’s sake. The knife-to-gunfight attitude still lingers.

Mike Gaynes

31 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:56:37

Kieran #24, agree with that too. And there’s no transfer deadline for free agents. Need a CB who can play LB? Talk Zouma out of going to Saudi. Vardy or Antonio (if healthy)? Of course.

Pace on the wing? Ziyech needs a job. Want to loan out Harrison Armstrong? Bring in Brownhill. Fullbacks? Maybe Reguilon, or an autumn move for Tomiyasu if his knee has healed.

Wait. Be patient. No reason for panic. Get it right.

Raymond Fox

32 Posted
22/08/2025 at
17:57:24

We will sign players I’m sure, how good they will be is anybodys guess.

I was saying a few weeks ago that we would finish 12th to 14th, now I’m not that confident at all.

Once again we have to finish above 3 teams thats the number one priority, I wasn’t expecting a glory season, but I wasn’t expecting to be biting my nails already either.

If it takes more money to get good players here, pay it.

Injuries always happen you need to also have decent players to fill in.

Maybe I/we are panicking too soon, but we do have big holes in our squad that need filling.

Jake FitzGerald

33 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:07:28

Just stop with the Jamie Vardy talk.

Apart from Burnley (at a push), no other Premier League club would even entertain the notion of signing him.

Liam Mogan

34 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:12:33

Mike 31 – ‘Wait. Be patient. No reason for panic. Get it right’

Think thats part of the problem mate. After years of mismanagement, it will be a long, long while until the majority of Everton fans have any faith in the manager/powers to get it right.

Hence the panic and impatience.

Ray Robinson

35 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:15:23

Why dismiss Vardy, Jake? I reckon he’d be a real threat if brought on with 20 minutes to go. Of course, he’d never start a game.

Mike Gaynes

36 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:23:04

I understand, Liam. We all share those feelings. That’s why I’m trying to project a little Zen here. If I could fold my legs into the proper position I’d be chanting.

Kunal Desai

37 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:47:06

What a difference six months can make. Dyche sacked, Moyes comes in and keeps us up. We got told in various press conferences that it’ll be a different Everton next season.

It’s just all so disappointing. This club continuously lets the fanbase down.

Brian Cleveland

38 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:51:24

Sam #29,

Good list of examples. We surely would have been of a similar attraction to them as the clubs they joined. Were we only trying for the stars?

And yes, any players approached now know they are part of the B list, not exactly inspiring for them is it?

Jack Convery

39 Posted
22/08/2025 at
18:57:29

We have N’Daiye, Gana and possibly Aznou going to the Afcon in December, so EFC need to make some signings pronto. Lots of games in December and the Xmas period. N’Diaye and Gana are, mainstays of the team. Aznou is hopefully, not going to be called up, by Morocco.

24 African teams are going to the Afcon, so bringing in current international players, from those teams is a no.

So its up and coming players, which given our circumstances would be unwise That leaves us with those out of contract in 2026, plus arl arses of 30 plus, loans and free agents. We can forget the arl arses as TFG won’t waste money on them, So free agents and next summers out of contract players.

Midfield:
Given what’s going on, especially in midfield, Josh Brownhill is starting to look good again as he’s on a free and lets face it, he’s better than Tim and Harrison at this stage. His stats for last season were as good as KDH. 18 goals / 6 assts, primarily from DM / CM. He captained Burnley last season and had no injury concerns. He played 44 games and was the Players’ Player of the Season.

Out of contract 2026 midfielders.
Mykola Shaparenko, 26, Ukraine International CM. Last season 7 goals / 10 assts. 42 Caps and for Dynamo Kyiv has clocked up 1 goal and 4 assts in 8 games so far this season.

Yacine Adli, 25, was on loan at Fiorentina last season from AC Milan, where he scored 5 goals, with 7 assts from 35 games. Possible loan this season ?

Jay Harris

40 Posted
22/08/2025 at
19:04:37

What a load of tosh.

Delap chose Chelsea and Fofana said from the outset he wanted a Champions League club or he was staying where he was.

Dibling is a potentially top quality player. Pay the money or move on.

Maitland-Niles on a free is a no-brainer, or Kellen Fisher a top quality right-vack

Jamie Vardy on a free, a proven goal scorer who could coach the young lads.

Offer £40M for Richarlison, he is better than any forward we currently have.

These are just off the top of my head. I don’t have the luxury of an “Elite” recruitment team to identify players.

I am sure if we had one or two ToffeeWeb contributors on this elite team we would have had the “right” players in for preseason.

All this judge us on September 2nd smacks of bullshit.

Martin Berry

43 Posted
22/08/2025 at
20:32:08

Martin 1#

You were right about the Managers demeanour, as he must have known the Dibling deal was close.

Christy Ring

44 Posted
22/08/2025 at
21:02:48

As others have said, Antonio would do a job, in my opinion.

Glenn Lambert-Vickers

45 Posted
22/08/2025 at
22:54:07

I would like to see this team against Brighton.
Pickford gk
Garner rb
McNeill lb
Tarkowski cb
Jake cb
Gana dm
KDH dm
Jack am
Charley rw
Ilman lw
Barry s

Mark Taylor

47 Posted
22/08/2025 at
23:45:29

I am blessed by not having hope, unlike some others here. I always felt this was going to be another season of scrapping. We’re just not very good. Robert Tressel often reminds us of the extent to which we shop in Lidl.

Even so, even at Lidl, there must be a halfway decent RB and RW we could sign. Acquiring luxury players like Grealish seems like an affectation when we don’t have a whole right side of a team. You can’t get away with that in the EPL. If teams know you pose next to zero threat, they just shuffle over to their right and block that side. Then shuffle back and attack down that side.

I said Leeds would be a marker of where we stand and I wasn’t optimistic, and was proven to be correct. Brighton are one of the few teams who are not stronger than last year, some very good players have left but I still aspire to no more than a draw on Sunday, if that.

That it has come to this, playing Brighton at home and fearing them

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