Everton

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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

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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BBC Radio Merseyside spoke to the Daily Mail's Nathan Salt on what new Everton technical director and former Manchester United academy chief Nick Cox will bring to the club.

"I don't think it's a good move - I think it's a great move," Salt said. "I think it'll be one of the best pieces of business any club will do all summer.

"All of the people I've spoken to said he is one of the best in academy football, and I know that's not going to be his role but he's been chomping at the bit to get a senior job.

"He's turned down multiple technical director and sporting director offers across Europe at clubs at decent level and all the word I've got is that he was directly headhunted by Everton and he just found it too good to turn down.

"They're getting someone who genuinely puts players at the heart of all his decisions. The things he's put into place at United – taking a middling academy and turning it into one of the best in the country.

"Everton weren't best pleased when the news broke because they thought they'd pulled off the signing of the summer in secret."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

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BBC Radio Merseyside spoke to Everton supporter Natalie Bargery about key players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the month.

"I think Idrissa Gana Gueye is the one we really just want to extend," Bargery said. "I know we've been told by various sources that he's signing and it's all fine but I think you always just want to know if the contract is signed and the announcement is coming out. Ever since the [Arnaut] Danjuma situation, we fear bad news, so he is the real key one.

"With Seamus Coleman, we all love him and we'd all love to still see him around, whether that's in a playing or coaching capacity but his influence on the pitch has waned in the last two years due to injury.

"With Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Michael Keane, the majority of us are set on them going and you can understand Keane, age 32, maybe wanting to go somewhere that he can play football more regularly and not be a fourth choice centre-back.

"It's only mid-June but they're making us sweat a little bit, aren't they? We want to know where we stand and where we are going forward because we already know there's a big turnover of players."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on how the fixture schedule has fallen for Everton and where they could be after the first 10 games.

Here are some of your comments:

Connor: Everton are a club on the rise. We are gearing up for a lot of transfers all over the park, we have a manager who brings out the best in our players and we have a new stadium that no-one else has played at. I believe we will be pushing ninth place in the table after 10 games of the season as our first three games are winnable. We then have some harder fixtures and then a couple of other mid-table teams. I'm feeling very positive.

Gareth: I know we have to play everyone twice but we seemed to have avoided a run of consecutive games against top six sides, which is refreshing!

Graham: The first six games give us a chance of three or four wins. After 10 games, I would hope that we will comfortably be top half (maybe seventh). But it's about where we are come May - that I hope is possibly eighth or ninth.

Chris: Another tough start. A must-win game against Leeds will ease pressure and a first win at home will be the icing on cake. We will get12 points from first six fixtures I think.

Opta has ranked the difficulty of each top-flight team's first five Premier League fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to Opta's model, Manchester United have the hardest start, followed by their opening-weekend opponents Arsenal and then Bournemouth.

Aston Villa's first five games have been ranked the easiest, alongside Crystal Palace.

Take a look below to see where your side places...

Aside from the opening fixture at Leeds United and the final fixture of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

See Everton's full fixture list here

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester United director of academy Nick Cox is to become Everton's technical director.

Cox's departure from Old Trafford is said to be amicable and the 47-year-old will remain at the club to ensure a smooth transition.

It does promise to be a summer of change at United as under-18 coach Adam Lawrence and under-21 assistant coach David Hughes have also left, the latter to take over as manager at League Two Newport.

Cox is highly regarded in football circles and has been the subject of numerous job offers in recent years, both at home and abroad.

However, the chance at Everton under a new, ambitious ownership group was felt to be too good to turn down. The Blues' previous technical director Kevin Thelwell left at the end of the season and has since joined Rangers.

Senior United sources have paid tribute to Cox's work, stating he has overhauled every aspect of the club's academy, including operations, recruitment, analysis, performance and education.

During a difficult period at first-team level given the relative managerial churn, Cox has presided over 29 debuts from academy players since being appointed United's academy director in 2019.

United have also brought Alejandro Garnacho, Toby Collyer, Ayden Heaven, Chido Obi and Harry Amass into their academy from external sources in recent times, as the club look to target younger players as part of their rebuild.

Club sources estimate the club has made about £100m from the sale of academy players over the past three years.

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Everton will close the opening weekend of the Premier League season, with their curtain-raiser away at Leeds United on Monday, 18 August, with kick-off at 20:00 BST.

The first Premier League game at the Hill Dickinson stadium will be the visit of Brighton the following week.

The Blues' first meeting with Merseyside rivals Liverpool is scheduled for the weekend of 20-21 September at Anfield with the reverse fixture set for for the weekend of 18-19 April.

And what about the schedule over Christmas and New Year? Well, their final game before Christmas has Arsenal making the trip to Merseyside.

Everton will then spend the rest of the festive period on the road, with visits to Burnley and Nottingham Forest before the end of December.

They start 2026 at home as Brentford travel to the Hill Dickinson stadium.

Finally, the Toffees will close their campaign away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, 24 May 2026 - when all 10 matches will kick off at 16:00 BST.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think Moyes' side will be after 10 games? Have your say here

Everton will travel to Leeds United in their opening game of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

The match will take place on Monday, 18 August at 20:00 BST, with the Toffees' first home fixture against Brighton on the weekend of 23-24 August.

See Everton's Premier League fixtures in full here

Where do you think the Blues will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here

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Everton fan and podcaster Warren Doyle says he feels "a little bit uneasy" with the Toffees' emerging links to Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker, adding that the 35-year-old "isn't the player he once was".

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside about the transfer rumours, Doyle said: "A lot of respected journalists have been mentioning this as a real possibility.

"Kyle Walker has been a wonderful player during his time at Manchester City. He has got a medal haul there and won lots of titles, but I just feel he is probably past his best now.

"He has definitely regressed. The things that made him such a strong player were his speed and pace, and I don't think he's at the level he was maybe even a year ago.

"I can see why Everton are possibly interested in him because it's looking very much like Michael Keane is going to leave on a free transfer, so we probably do need another centre-back as cover.

"Walker can offer cover at right-back and centre-back as well, so maybe Everton are looking at it from that point of view and thinking about his Premier League experience.

"I would like to see Everton go for someone a bit younger. He isn't the profile of player I would like to see us sign.

"If David Moyes wants to go for him, though, I've got faith in what he wants to do and what his plans are. It's just not a signing that I would personally like to see."

Listen to the full conversation on BBC Sounds

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We asked for you to tell us one player you want to bring to Everton and one player you want the club to sell.

Here are some of your comments:

Kev: I think we need to accept that Jarrad Branthwaite isn't going to be with us for the long term and cash in on him while his price is at the highest it probably will be. As for a purchase/incoming, if Jack Grealish is available and fancies the move he has to be our priority. He is creative, hard working and has a pedigree that not many who become available could bring to our team.

Ross: Sell Jarrad Branthwaite, buy Maxime Esteve and use the rest of our money to buy a striker, winger and a left back.

Kobe: If we sell anyone then I would say Nathan Patterson because he doesn't seem like he'd get into the team. For a player to sign I'm between Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Thomas: We must move on from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Get Jack Grealish on loan, enquire about Matt O'Riley from Brighton and buy a striker and a right back.

Chris: Sell or give away Dominic Calvert-Lewin and bring in Ollie Watkins. Yes he's 30 but he has speed and intelligence. DCL is too injury prone and has lost the ability of a true striker to predict where the ball might appear. Watkins can do that and can also beat defenders.

Dave: Sad to say that I'd probably sell Nathan Patterson at this point. Three successive managers haven't fancied him so it doesn't look like he's got a future with us. We need loads of incomings but the most obvious one to me is Kyle Walker-Peters on a free. Natural replacement and upgrade on Ashley Young to cover at both full-back positions.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

One reader asked: Do you think Kyle Walker still has something to offer top-flight clubs like Everton?

Phil replied: I think he could offer Premier League clubs something, but not sure he is what Everton want or need as they try move into a new era with a new stadium and ambitious new owners in The Friedkin Group.

Walker, at 35, is near the end of his career but a club needing experience and a leader with a big voice and presence in the dressing room could be tempted.

Read more of the Q&A here

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Everton defender Jake O'Brien says they will be "ambitious" with what they can achieve as a team going into the new season.

The 24-year-old joined from Lyon last summer and initially struggled to break into the starting XI under Sean Dyche.

However, he took his chance in the second half of the season after David Moyes' return and made 24 appearances, also scoring two goals and providing one assist.

In both centre-back and right-back roles, the Republic of Ireland international became a key figure in defence to help the side move away from relegation danger.

With a new stadium too, the Blues will want to build on that and be competing in the top half rather than the bottom half of the tablein 2025-26.

"It is important to always be ambitious and know you can fight for things," O'Brien told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"Over the past couple of months, we have been going toe to toe with teams at the top end of the table and won some of those games too.

"We have shown we are more than capable of doing it and just need to do that throughout the season.

"It is great having the new owners and new manager, so it's exciting times. We now have the whole summer to build and get ready for a new season in a new stadium, so it is exciting times for everyone and we will definitely be pushing up the table, being ambitious and seeing how far we can go."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Manchester City and England defender Kyle Walker, 35, has agreed to join Everton on a one-year deal. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.