Season › 2024-25 › News “We’re short in certain areas” – David Moyes assesses his squad ahead of the league opener Anjishnu Roy 16/08/2025 18comments | Jump to last David Moyes expressed that the Everton squad still needs a few additions in the pre-match press conference ahead of their 2025-26 Premier League opener against Leeds United. “We’re short in certain areas, we’re okay in other departments,” Moyes told the reporters at Finch Farm. “We’ve got some good business done, I’m pleased with the players added to the squad. But I still need more. We need greater numbers. “We want to continue adding to what we have.” Everton have signed seven players so far this summer after letting go of nearly a dozen players from last season. When asked whether he wants to bring in three or four more players, the Scottish manager replied, “Look, I could say even more possibly. At the moment, though, I’d settle for any of those numbers I can get.” One of the areas where the Toffees are still short, even as the league season begins, is on the right flank. With the loss of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, Moyes doesn’t have any players specialising in that wide right attacking position. While Everton have targeted a number of players for that role this summer, including failed attempts to sign Francisco Conceicao, Johan Bakayoko, and Omari Hutchinson, their pursuit of Tyler Dibling from Southampton attracted a lot of media attention. The Blues saw three bids being rejected for the teenager and negotiations stalled after a discrepancy in valuations between the two clubs. When asked about Dibling and the possibility of a deal still happening, the Everton boss said, “Like many managers in the Premier League have faced this summer, I think getting deals done has been really difficult. “I have to say that’s one name you have mentioned but we have bid for many players. I’m not going to mention those names or the clubs because it’s not right, but we have bid for many players and we’ve not been able to get many of those over the line. “I think there’s quite a few clubs that can say something similar.” Reader Comments (18) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Tony Abrahams 1 Posted 16/08/2025 at 10:14:52 Except Goalkeeper 🤷♂️🤦♂️ Paul Corbett 2 Posted 16/08/2025 at 10:21:17 I think we are now three players away from a full squad for the upcoming season.Two RWs and a RB. I have a feeling Dibling will be coming in for £40m plus extras. That leaves a RB and RW on loan as a last minute gap fill. That might be Harrison again plus a RB but have no idea who that may be. Craig Scott 3 Posted 16/08/2025 at 10:38:51 I think many are overlooking getting another striker alongside Barry. We might have more chances being created by the incoming players plus Ndiyae, but I wouldnt be relying on Beto to convert too many of them. Steve Cotton 4 Posted 16/08/2025 at 10:45:40 According to newsnow Everton fans should all be slavering at the new 3rd choice keeper coming in...WTF get a right winger and full back immediately. Anyone who expected us to do our business early were in cuckoo land...We usually grab any last minute bargains on transfer deadline day already 4 games in with 1 point.. It's not good enough, it never was Alan J Thompson 5 Posted 16/08/2025 at 10:54:59 I thought that most of the players we've brought in are all over 6 foot or is he just on about the bleedin' obvious? Or is he taking responsibility for it? Raymond Fox 6 Posted 16/08/2025 at 11:16:00 We will get more players in you can bank on it, what the quality will be like is anybody's guess. I think Dibling will be one.The more the merrier because we will get more injuries that's a certainty. Bobby Thomas 7 Posted 16/08/2025 at 12:15:38 West Brom on the box in a bit. Tom Fellows is playing if anyone is wondering whether he's decent. He's been mentioned more than once.We badly need a passing holder. Mainoo is getting messed about we should try and loan him. Ambitious but worth an ask. He is quality. Jake FitzGerald 8 Posted 16/08/2025 at 12:32:30 Id like to see Fellows as our RW back-up. Bring him on in the last 10-15 mins to cause havoc with his pace. Same with Kellen Fisher at RB, although I still think he is more of a starter. Ian Bennett 9 Posted 16/08/2025 at 12:55:42 Isaac Price just scored his 2nd of the season for West Brom. Fellows cross.On Sky now. Alan McGuffog 10 Posted 16/08/2025 at 13:08:56 That Wrexham right back is putting in lovely crosses. Maybe we could appoint him as our crossing coach ? Ian Pilkington 11 Posted 16/08/2025 at 13:31:58 Paul @2Bring back Jack Harrison?You cant be serious. Derek Knox 12 Posted 16/08/2025 at 14:49:13 Ian @ 12, we may need toilet cleaners, or grass cutters ! Totally agree, what a waste of a shirt, can't fault his work rate, but no end product whatsoever. Stu Darlington 13 Posted 16/08/2025 at 16:36:28 Moyes is right to be concerned about numbers. We lost a lot of players one way or another at the end of last season and are well short of replacing them. We have made a few quality additions compared to recent windows but nowhere near enough to cover the positions we are lacking or to give us the squad depth needed in the Premier League. I think supporters are becoming frustrated when we don't seem to be able to get deals over the line,but other clubs can. I refer recently to Forest, with Luiz and Hutchinson. There are still players out there who could do a job for us at a gettable price but we don't seem to be showing any interest. Maybe that indicates some cunning plan!One can only hope so because time is running out fast, and even if we do buy or bring loans in, it's going to be well into the season before they settle into the team, and we could be back playing catch-up by then. Christy Ring 14 Posted 16/08/2025 at 17:05:33 Luiz supposed to have agreed terms with Forest, for around £30m, I thought Moyes wanted him? All this new recruitment of Kinnear & Co. nothing has changed on bringing in players we badly need. Ray Roche 15 Posted 16/08/2025 at 17:16:44 Christy, Forest are building a nice team there, but they can offer European football, even if it is the leftovers version, and were a distance away from that yet. Not our recruitments fault. Ryan Holroyd 16 Posted 16/08/2025 at 20:09:09 Forest attacking options:• Arnaud Kalimuendo• Chris Wood• Igor Jesus• Dan Ndoye• Callum Hudson-Odoi• Omari Hutchinson• Morgan Gibbs-White• James McAtee How have Everton allowed themselves to have worse players than Nottingham Forest? Mihir Ambardekar 17 Posted 17/08/2025 at 03:01:16 I fear for us this season. When we look at teams in Premier league, they have better squads than us. Are we negotiating too much? Teams like Forest have made solid additions to their team. At this moment, Leeds have a better squad. Robert Tressell 18 Posted 17/08/2025 at 08:19:25 Ryan, the answer is simple. Money. We need to start spending. And like Forest, if we expect quality, we're going to have to spend over £40M on certain players to get it. 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