Everton

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Fulham's Kenny Tete may yet remain at Craven Cottage to dash Everton's hopes of securing the Dutch right-back on a free transfer.

Everton were confident negotiations were advancing towards a successful conclusion on a three-year deal – but Fulham have also offered the 29-year-old a new contract and are hopeful he will now step back from moving to Merseyside.

Manager David Moyes has made the position one of his summer priorities after 39-year-old Ashley Young was not offered a new contract, and despite veteran captain Seamus Coleman signing a one-year deal to take him into a 17th season at the club.

Tete had emerged as Everton's main target, but manager David Moyes may yet be forced to turn to alternatives, which could include Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters or his former right-back at West Ham, Vladimir Coufal.

Jake O'Brien, who was signed from Lyon as a central defender, performed consistently at right-back for Everton following Moyes' appointment in January after being ignored by predecessor Sean Dyche, while Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has also been used.

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We asked for your views on Dominic Calvert-Lewin leaving Everton this summer and whether you wished he would have stayed.

Here are some of your comments:

Jack: I think it's best for both DCL and Everton that he moves on. He's not the player he was two or three years ago. His persistent injuries have not helped so, thank you for your time here and good luck in the future.

Tony: Although I appreciate his initial hard work and goals, his later years were more about his injuries than his goals and output. A team cannot progress with injury prone players. So with a heavy heart, we wish him all the best for the future.

Andy: Calvert-Lewin has done a job for the last few seasons but if we're going to escape the relegation battles, we need to find a striker who will deliver more and push us up the table. Shake hands and wish him the best.

Chris: It's a shame we couldn't hold on to him for one more season as a squad player with a generous contract until we could get a new striker.

Ian: DCL was offered a contract by Everton as were other players who have now left. You cannot keep offering top dollar salaries and extensive contracts when the player is unproductive, struggling for form and subject to numerous injuries. Good luck to DCL but in reality, it's his loss not Everton's.

Paul: I do like Dominic but it's time to move on, he just can't stay fit and score regular goals. We have to adapt and ask the rest of the squad to contribute to goals, it's how most teams play now and it's makes sense.

Jamie: His decision best suits all parties. Some really memorable headers at the Gwladys Street end but overall, he always struck me as a someone who played within himself. Almost as if he was scared of getting injured - again.

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Everton stalwart Seamus Coleman has signed a one-year contract extension with the Merseyside club, setting the stage for his 17th season in the Premier League.

Speaking to BBC Merseyside, fan and Unholy Trinity Podcast contributor Mike Richards shared his thoughts on the extension, suggesting that while Coleman may not feature prominently on the pitch this season, his influence within the squad remains significant.

Richards also expressed his delight that Coleman will have the honour of captaining Everton as they move into their new home at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

"He didn't feature heavily at all last season; he had a few injuries along the way," Richards said. "I am sure that when he knows the time has come when he can't play Premier League football, he'd be the first one to call it a day. But obviously, he feels that he can.

"David Moyes has said how important his role is off the pitch and on it. We know he can still, on his day, put in a decent performance, and if he feels that he can still compete and can still play then who are we to argue? I am delighted personally that he is going to be the man to lead us into that new stadium."

Listen on BBC Sounds

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin says leaving Everton "isn't something I chose lightly" - but should the club have done more to keep hold of the striker?

The 28-year-old confirmed on Sunday he will become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the month.

"After nine remarkable years, I've made the incredibly difficult decision - together with my family - to begin a new chapter in my career," Calvert-Lewin, who scored 71 goals in 273 games after joining Everton from Sheffield United for £1.5m in 2016, posted on social media.

"This isn't something I chose lightly. Everton has been my home since I was 19 years old. It's the place that saw potential in me, challenged me to grow and shaped me both as a footballer and as a man.

"I want to express my gratitude to all the managers and coaches I've worked with over the years and to my team-mates who have become life-long friends."

Earlier in June, BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha said he thought Everton should retain Calvert-Lewin, but on reduced terms.

The former Manchester City defender added: "He is worth keeping for now because is there cover if Everton decide to let him go? Do they have someone who can fill those boots straight away?

"I do not think Calvert-Lewin himself, nor anyone at Everton, really expects him to be a guaranteed starter going forward.

"If the club can find a way to offer him a new deal - on a reduced wage and perhaps appearance-based clauses - then I would keep him as a squad player."

What do you think? Should the Blues have kept Calvert-Lewin rather than let him leave on a free? Do Everton need to sign a replacement - and, if so, who should they now target?

Get in touch with your thoughts here

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Everton are progressing in talks over a new contract with defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

The 23-year-old is regarded as an important part of the club's plans as they move into a new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Last summer, Manchester United had two bids rejected for the centre-half, the second of which was about £45m.

Club sources had said it would need a “mega” offer to even consider selling the player, who had been valued at £80m.

Branthwaite made 30 Premier League appearances to help the Toffees to finish 13th in the table and his current deal expires in 2027.

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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside about whether Everton could sell their women's team to help with PSR rules: "There has been a new company which has been formed.

"Everton Football Club Women Limited has been in existence for over a decade, but it looks as if the new owners have set up a company which is linked to the women's team.

"Could it be that the current owners of Everton Football Club Women, which is Everton Football Club itself, could sell Everton FC Women to this new company which has been set up?

"You might say: 'Hold on, well surely that's just transferring things from the left hand to the right hand and overall we're no better off or there's no change?' But in the world of accounting it's very different.

"It could be this is being done for strategic, planning or tax reasons - or lots of other things.

"On the basis that Chelsea's women's team was sold for 20 times the amount of revenue it generated, if you take a look at the most recent accounts for Everton's women's team, that means you could probably sell that football club for somewhere in the region of £60-65m and if that was the case that would be pure profit - which goes into your PSR budget and would enhance the ability of Everton to compete in the transfer market."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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Everton captain Seamus Coleman has signed a new one-year contract, keeping him at the club until July 2026.

The 26-year-old right-back will enter his 17th season with the Blues and holds the club record of 369 Premier League appearances.

It is his ninth contract with Everton.

Coleman told the club's official website: "I love Everton so to continue playing for this special club means everything to me and my family.

"Like every one of our passionate fans, I've lived and breathed what has been a difficult past few years for the club and have put my heart and soul into doing all I can to help us get through it.

"Thanks to the hard work of many people, we've been able to get into our magnificent new stadium and pave the way for a brighter future under ambitious new owners, which I want to be part of."

Amid rumours Sean Dyche might move to King Power Stadium this summer, Leicester are plotting a move to sign Everton defender Michael Keane on a free transfer when his contract expires later this month. (Football Insider, external)

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Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

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Everton have reportedly entered negotiations with Villarreal, external to sign France Under-21 striker Thierno Barry.

A Premier League move at the age of 22 would cement Barry's rapid rise in European football in recent seasons. Only three years ago, he completed his first season of senior football in France's fifth tier before moving to Belgian second-tier side Beveren in July 2022.

Twenty goals in 28 starts were enough to earn a move to Swiss Super League side Basel a year later and he subsequently finished as the club's top scorer on 12 goals in his first campaign of top-flight football.

A flurry of eight goals in the first four matches of 2024-25 convinced Villarreal to pay €15m (£12.7m) for his services in August. The 6ft 5in striker was an instant success, scoring 11 goals to help the Yellow Submarine finish fifth with their highest points tally in 17 years and qualify for the Champions League.

Barry was in an elite group of players aged under 23 to score 10 or more goals in Europe's top five leagues this season, sitting alongside the likes of Leipzig's in-demand Benjamin Sesko, PSG's Bradley Barcola and Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike.

Barry's height makes him a huge threat in the air and he ranked second of all forwards in Europe's major leagues (and top of anyone in La Liga) for aerial duel success in 2024-25, winning 66.7% of his 153 challenges (minimum 100 aerial duels).

It is a facet of Barry's game that has undoubtedly attracted Everton boss David Moyes, whose sides typically get lots of crosses into the box. The Toffees ranked seventh for open-play crosses in this season's Premier League, although they struggled to convert crosses into goals, scoring just three times from such situations – the fewest of any club other than Chelsea (2).

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Our chief football writer Phil McNulty spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside about Everton's transfer business this summer and where they are at in their pursuit of Fulham's 29-year-old Kenny Tete.

"I think the situation is that Everton probably thought they had a deal in place with Kenny Tete but Fulham are not quite letting go because he is very high value there," McNulty said.

"I spoke to somebody around Fulham who said he'd be a real miss if he left, a very good right-back, very experienced and gives them something in terms of that experience and quality and it sounds like they might just make one last offer to try and keep him. Whether that diverts him away from Everton, we don't know.

"It certainly does reveal that Everton will be looking at the right-back slot with Ashley Young going and Seamus Coleman's future still uncertain. Nathan Patterson has been in and out and of course, Jake O'Brien was outstanding last season but ostensibly he is a central defender so it will be interesting to see what happens.

"I did think they had a deal lined up for Tete but as we know for all these things, Everton won't be taking anything for granted and nothing is done until he signs.

"Fulham will be clinging on a bit and won't be letting him go without a fight."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

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Everton have launched their home kit for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

The club have said the wave design was inspired by the River Mersey that provides the backdrop for their new waterfront stadium.

While Everton describe it as a 'mesmeric pattern' that will go perfectly with their inaugural season at Hill Dickinson Stadium, what do you make of it?

Choose your verdict here

Everton have started negotiations with La Liga club Villarreal over the signing of 22-year-old French forward Thierno Barry and have not ruled out paying his £34m release clause. (ESPN), external

Meanwhile, the Blues remain hopeful of signing Kenny Tete on a free transfer despite reports Fulham have offered the 29-year-old Netherlands right-back a new contract. (Independent, external), external

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Everton and Manchester United are interested in Leicester City's 28-year-old Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who has a £9m relegation release clause in his contract. (Talksport), external

Meanwhile, the Blues, Brentford, West Ham and Fulham are considering a move for Ipswich's 21-year-old England Under-21s winger Omari Hutchinson. (Mail), external

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BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

James asked: There are rumours that Everton are trying to get Jack Grealish on loan, do you think there's realistic chance of this happening and if so would it be a good move for Grealish and Everton?

Phil answered: Everton, like many other clubs, will be aware that there is a deal to be done for Jack Grealish but this would be a very rich deal for Everton to do – and would certainly require Manchester City picking up a large share of his salary.

So, at the moment, I think you can categorise this as being a long shot but, if the clock runs down towards the window closing and Grealish has not found himself a new club, then I can certainly see Everton at least trying to find out the lay of the land.

There will be plenty of other clubs interested as well because, despite his struggles last season, Grealish is a real talent who still has the capability to exert great influence on games.

Follow the rest of Phil's Q&A and the rest of the day's football news on our daily live page

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Josh Lobley
BBC Sport journalist

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It is quite clear to both the Everton board and supporters that signing a right-back is one of the top priorities in the summer transfer window and Kenny Tete's arrival on Merseyside would be a shrewd addition to David Moyes' squad.

Perhaps the 29 year-old does not have the same vast level of experience as the likes of Ashley Young, but the Dutch defender is nearing 100 Premier League games, has over 50 appearances in the French Ligue 1 and also has 25 matches of European football on his CV - which he could be looking to add to under Everton's ambitious project.

Comparing his numbers to Everton's three most used full-backs from last season (Vitaliy Mykolenko, Ashley Young and Jake O'Brien) the former Netherlands international comes out on top in many categories, particularly defensively.

Tete played in a Fulham side who averaged over 52% possession in the Premier League least season, the eighth highest in the division - this is over 10% more than Everton who only averaged more than relegated Ipswich Town in 2024-25. If Tete can still put up superior defensive numbers in a side which had much more of the ball, it should be a seamless transition into less ball-dominant side where he can showcase his ball winning abilities even more.

Looking at Tete's injury record is a cause for concern. The former Ajax and Lyon man has only made more than 30 appearances in a league season once in his career; but given that there is no transfer fee involved, it could be worth the risk for a player of Tete's quality. Perhaps Irish duo Jake O'Brien and Seamus Coleman (who is in talks to extend his Everton contract) can help share the workload with Tete and maximise his potential impact on Merseyside.

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We asked for your views on whether Everton are better equipped to move forward this season with new structures in place after the club announced a host of senior appointments last week covering scouting, data analytics and player trading.

Here are some of your comments:

Robert: To be a great club you need the infrastructure in place. Hopefully this is being completed right now. The manager is in place, he has shown us he's still very capable of managing the team, now we need better players at the right age with a hunger to show what they can do for our great club.

Richard: The new structure sounds good but the key to everything is signing the right replacement players. Replacement because things were on the up since January and a complete overhaul isn't necessary. David Moyes knows which players are needed - give him full choice.

Tony: History tells us that a quick rebuild of the squad will not necessarily bring about the right change. With Moyes steering the boat, they have a coach who knows what the team need to strengthen. Those working with him simply need to have the way for him to get what is needed. Early signs are positive. Build slowly and target young talent with some Premier League pedigree. Avoid spending big on players not tested at Premier League level or targeting those who have not been part of a successful club development structure.

Andrew: This season is a season of change, from all facets of the club. These models and processes will need time to embed and change a small mentality culture. Personally, I wouldn't want a marquee signature (that's just for fan glorification sometimes). I just want players that fit the club, Moyes' system and playing style. A season of improvement and stability, away from relegation battles, around mid-table within the fringes of fighting for European places. I think next season should be the one, as we will need a few transfer windows.

Dennis: As a lifelong Evertonian, I am absolutely sure we are now moving in the right direction. We are sorting out our recruitment and development teams behind the scenes, and getting a better structure in place for the long-term future. We have to admit, some signings in recent years have left a lot to be desired to say the least. I'm confident that will all change now. The future is bright, the future is blue.

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Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Patience may be required for any rebuild as The Friedkin Group continues to navigate the implications of PSR.

The club's most recent accounts for 2023-24, external show a loss of £53.2m, a reduction of £36m on the previous year, while revenue rose by 9% to £187m – an encouraging picture although one that means money must still be spent wisely.

Leon Osman, who was given his Everton debut by Moyes in 2003, believes that Everton must retain key players such as Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford, while recruiting more leaders to bolster a rapidly thinning squad.

"A Moyes dressing room is hard, demanding," he said. "Having spoke to a couple of the squad, they love the clarity and what he's asking of them.

"A manager has to ask for that level and he always did that when I played for him. You also look at O'Brien, who has excelled at right-back when people thought he couldn't do it. We need to make sure these people stay on the pitch."

Everton have taken steps to streamline their process, moving away from a director-of-football model following the departure of Kevin Thelwell to a sports leadership team headed by new chief executive Angus Kinnear.

He has said that Everton will utilise experts in data and analytics, football operations, recruitment, talent ID and player trading as part of the club's evolving approach.

Kinnear has also already met with supporters group the Fan Advisory Board – a far removal from the previous regime when former manager Dyche described communicating with then-owner Farhad Moshiri by "Whatsapp and the odd phone call".

Osman has backed the new structure to succeed, adding: "It's time to get behind the new hierarchy and I expect they would lean into Moyes' experience as much as they can. I trust David Moyes more than anyone."

Read Matt's full piece

How confident are you in the new structure?

Do you think Everton are better equipped to make steps forward this season?

Let us know here

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Everton have confirmed four new appointments as part of the football leadership structure at the club.

The Toffees have appointed Nick Cox as technical director, James Smith as director of scouting and recruitment, Chris Howarth to direct the club's football strategy and analytics operations and Nick Hammond to lead the club's player trading activity.

Cox is currently academy director at Manchester United while Smith will join in September from across Manchester, moving from the position as director of scouting and recruitment at the City Football Group.

Howarth has worked with 14 clubs across Europe through his consultancy Insight Sport which Everton owners The Friedkin Group have acquired as part of his arrival.

Since his retirement from playing, Hammond has worked as director of football for 13 years at Reading, technical director at West Brom for three years and head of football operations at Celtic

Chief Executive Officer Angus Kinnear said: "I'm delighted with the appointments of Nick, James and Nick.

"Their CVs speak for themselves - they are exceptional operators, hugely respected in the game and an example of the ambition we hold as a club in ensuring the pathways and structures in place across our football operations are of the very highest standard.

"The fact we had such exceptional candidates for these positions is also a reflection of the direction of the club.

"The new football leadership structure will ensure our two managers have the very best support, and the very best operators driving the key football operations, to ensure our collective ambitions are realised."

Everton have opened contract talks with England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. The 22-year-old has two more years left on his current deal but David Moyes wants to tie him down long term. (Liverpool Echo), external

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