Everton manager David Moyes had his say on Liverpool’s summer spending spree in the transfer market ahead of his side’s trip to Anfield
11:01, 19 Sep 2025Updated 11:49, 19 Sep 2025
Everton manager David Moyes speaks in his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Liverpool
David Moyes says the fact Liverpool have spent more on one player than Everton have on their whole squad emphasises the size of his task going to Anfield. But he insists the Reds have earned the right to splash the cash after being crowned Premier League champions.
Although the Blues embarked on their own biggest ever net spend in the transfer market this summer as they were finally able to break free of the PSR shackles that have dogged them in recent years, it was dwarfed by their neighbours’ outlay.
Arne Slot’s side shelled out £446million – the most ever spent by an English club in a single window – after breaking the British transfer record for the £125m Alexander Isak.
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Ahead of Everton’s game with Liverpool for the 247th Merseyside Derby, Moyes was asked whether such sprees made him jealous but he said: “You have to earn the right. You have to win and be in the big competitions which make the money.
“I found at West Ham that three years in Europe allowed us to spend money, allowed us to bring money in and upped the spending. From that point of view, Liverpool are entitled to do that.
“I heard Arne defending himself and he’s brought in a lot of money as well, which he rightly has done. But I still think they’ve spent more on one player than we’ve spent on the whole squad.
“It gives you a realism over where the game is and where the clubs are. I need to try and shorten the gulf between the two clubs.
“At the moment, Liverpool are champions and are probably favourites, if not second favourites, for the Champions League. We’re not, we’re Everton who have had three or four difficult seasons and we’re just beginning to rebuild and trying to bridge that gap is quite difficult to do.”
The Glaswegian added: “Obviously they’ve bought in a lot of really good players. Over recent years, Jurgen Klopp’s teams have been fantastic, and I think Arne Slot has come in and done a brilliant job for his club in the one year he’s been here.
“They’ve gone out and bought some real top players which has strengthened them again. So, they’ve looked to improve again, but I think we’ve improved as well and I think from my point of view, I have to look at us and what we’re doing and I want us to keep improving and get better if we can.”
Slot’s side have won each of their four Premier League games so far this season with goals in the 83rd minute or later but Moyes acknowledges that with elite clubs having large squads, being able to end matches strongly is an important trait in the modern game.
He said: “Liverpool have shown at different times they’re very, very good and there are other times where they’ve shown some vulnerability where they’ve conceded goals. We’ll have to try and take advantage of those moments as well.
“We played them last year at Anfield and lost to an offside goal. We want to try and run them close again, work hard and maybe this time it will fall in our favour?
“They’ve got a strength that a lot of teams have and I heard Mikel (Arteta) calling them finishers (rather than those named in the starting line-up) the other day.
“I think it’s a big part of the game now that you should be able to bring people off the bench and maybe help them change the game and they can have an impact.
“The teams at the top of the league who have so many games and need the extra players are using it.
“We think we have people as well who are not always the starters, who can come on and finish the games as well.”