DAVID MOYES faces a battle to even fill his substitutes’ bench following a disastrous end to the transfer window for Everton.
The Toffees managed to recruit Jack Grealish and Ainsley Maitland-Niles on deadline day, but these incomings were overshadowed by other business.
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Everton sold talisman Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City, in addition to flogging Nathan Patterson to Torino, Tim Iroegbunam to Hull and Beto to Fiorentina.
The latter departure could prove to be particularly costly, with a last-gasp move for replacement Folarin Balogun falling through.
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Everton had agreed a £40million deal for the Monaco striker earlier in the day, only for an issue with the medical to throw the move into doubt.
The Toffees went back in for Balogun after a late swoop for Joshua Zirkzee failed, and even managed to agree a lower fee.
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Moyes’ men submitted a deal sheet to get the signing through beyond the deadline… only for Balogun himself to pull the plug.
This means that following Beto’s exit, Thierno Barry is the only senior striker available to Moyes.
Beto had come off the bench in Everton’s opening two Premier League matches of the season, but the Toffees will now no longer have this option.
Everton also failed with a bid for Tottenham star Richarlison, the Brazilian subsequently releasing an explosive statement on social media after the switch failed to materialise.
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Things could have gotten even worse for the Toffees, had they sold promising academy graduate Harrison Armstrong.
Club chiefs had agreed a £40m deal to sell the 19-year-old to Nottingham Forest, only to perform a U-turn amid a fan revolt.
Even with Armstrong still in tow, Moyes has just a 21-man senior squad to choose from.
This means that just one injury would force to the Scot to name two goalkeepers as substitutes, should he want to fill his bench with senior pros.
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Everton’s 21-man squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Mark Travers, Tom King
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, Jake O’Brien, Vitalii Mykolenko, Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Midfielders: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christian Norgaard, Carlos Alcaraz, Hayden Hackney, Merlin Rohl, James Garner, Harrison Armstrong, Jack Grealish
Forwards: Thierno Barry, Tyrique George, Tyler Dibling, Brennan Johnson
Moyes pleaded not to be left short after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
The experienced boss said last week: “For us to be a side which is competitive, we have still got a lot of work to do. Hopefully we are able to try to do some of it. We need more players.
“Our squad is not big enough and we need to get more quality in some areas, if we can do.
“I’m not sure we will, but it’s not for me and the want of trying, that’s for sure.”
Everton fans were understandably left fuming with their club’s end to the transfer window.
One wrote on X: “Someone needs to answer for this utter negligence but we’ll get nothing as usual”.
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And a second raged: “The incompetence of this is absolutely insane”.
Another added: “It’s unacceptable and a lack of respect to the fans, players and manager.”
Everton Fans’ Forum statement
Toffees’ supporters group expressed severe concerns
The conclusion of this summer’s transfer window leaves Everton supporters with serious questions about the club’s planning, recruitment and decision-making.
We were told there was a clear strategy. We were told the recruitment structure had changed. We were told lessons had been learned from the mistakes of previous years.
Yet, once again, Everton have found themselves scrambling in the final days and hours of a transfer window to address positions that supporters and the football department have known required strengthening for months.
This is not about demanding that Everton spend recklessly. Supporters understand the financial restrictions the club operates under. We are not demanding marquee signings simply for the sake of it.
We are demanding competence, preparation and accountability.
The decision to allow players to leave without having suitable replacements secured has left the squad looking dangerously short in key areas.
The collapse of yet another transfer at the 11th hour only adds to that frustration. These are not minor administrative issues. They are failures that directly affect the strength and competitiveness of the first-team squad and the options available to the manager.
Everton cannot continue operating this way.
For years, supporters have been told that the chaos of the previous regime would not be repeated. We were promised a more professional, structured and sustainable approach to recruitment.
So we have to ask:
- Where is the planning?
- Where is the preparation?
- Where is the accountability when the plan fails?
Evertonians have shown extraordinary patience and loyalty through some of the darkest periods in this club’s history. They have backed the team, filled the stadium and continued to believe in the direction being presented to them.
That patience should not be mistaken for acceptance.
The Fans Forum believes supporters deserve a clear explanation of what went wrong during this transfer window, why key targets were not secured and what measures will be put in place to ensure these failures are not repeated.
This football club has spent too long reacting to problems rather than anticipating them. That has to change.
Everton Football Club should be setting the standard, not scrambling to meet it.
Our motto is Nil Satis Nisi Optimum — nothing but the best is good enough.
Those words should apply not only to the players representing Everton on the pitch, but to every level of the football club.
Evertonians deserve better.
And after everything they have endured, they are entitled to demand better.