Rumour Mill — Week of 10 August 2025

I watched Norwich the other day and that right back, Kellen Fisher looked quite good.

I agree Maitland-Niles would be a good squad player in the mould of Alan Harper.

I also agree that Michael Keane gives me palpitations every time a ball comes towards our defense.

There's rumours we're interested in Zinchenko.

Hopefully not because whatever about going forward, he definitely can't defend. He plays in midfield for Ukraine, his best and only position.

I swear Kellen Fisher would slot right in. He’s got the build and tacking ability of Hibbert.

I saw him lose possession, sprint back half the length of the pitch and time his slide to perfection as the other guy was primed to cross. That would have us all on our feet. He even looks like a scouser.

Anyone remember the sell-on fee for Nathan Broadhead?

Signing for Wrexham for £10M.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles :

Last season for Lyon, he played 44 games, completing the 90 minutes on 29 occasions. Did not miss any game due to injury. Played RB 29 times, with 7 assists. Also played RM 3 times, with 1 assist. Played DM and LB, each on one occasion.

The previous season, he played 29 games in multiple positions, including RB 9 times and LB twice. Other positions played were RM, CM, AM and LW.

One goal and 2 assists as a RB. No injuries recorded. In fact the last time he missed a game due to injury was December 2023, when he missed 2 games.

Have we bought anyone yet?

It’s all gone worryingly quiet lately…

Omari Hutchinson going to Forest so cross him your lists.

We’re about to sign a 3rd choice goalkeeper from Wolves - Tom King

Tom King from Wolves, 30 year old back up keeper.

Andrea, he seems to be joining Stockport County.

Shame about Hutchinson, Ryan, if that does go through. He and Dibling look the stand out options for our RW position - so maybe we will get Dibling after all.

Well, that explains that. On loan?

Fair enough.

It feels like the Dibling thing has gone too far now for us not to get him.

It’ll be such a pointlessly depressing waste of time if we don’t. Yeh, we need pace…blah blah blah.

Did Zidane have much pace? Or that many goals or assists?

Dibling will improve our team, please get this donee, and don’t keep him on the bench, Davie.

Great news on Hutchinson. A highly touted player who flatters to deceive. May improve for having better players around him but for £35Mn I'm glad we aren't taking that chance.

Dibling looks to me like he's different class so I hope and believe we will get it done.

This window us getting more bizarre for Everton.

Apparently there's no right wingers available in world football we're prepared to pay the asking price for.

It is weird Ryan you are right, and right backs too. Fucking get it done Blues! With those two positions filled I’ll start to relax more. It would be very exciting if one of them was Dibling.

Ritsu Doan and Ben Doak rumours now picking up. Dibling still seems quite likely to me. He seems to want to come and Saints look resigned to the sale.

Andrea, Zidane may not have been fast but many of the players around him were. And those who weren't were exceptional. Since we're not at that sort of level we're crying out for pace.

Conor, I think £35m is a pretty fair unremarkable price for Hutchinson - who I'd have been pleased to get. Prices seem to have shot up this summer. Anything below £20m seems to be bargain bin with very few players of Prem quality in this price bracket. £20m to £40m is a fairly routine price for likely bottom 10 teams.

Ritsu Doan … who?

We're not getting Dibling.

Ritsu Doan has gone to Frankfurt.

You're right about Doan, Ryan. Not spotted that. Just shows how much rubbish circulates in the gossip pages.

Why so defeatist about Dibling? Don't tell me he's gone to Frankfurt too?

There’s a gap of at least 10m so can’t see that being done. And he was back in training today with Southampton.

We will get Tom felllows after everyone else turns us down

JF3 'He even looks like a scouser.' Ha ha good un.

£30m for Manchester City's James McAtee to Forest who also signed Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson for £37.5m. World's gone crazy as reserves are going for these prices. Forest are also signing a striker, Arnaud Kalimuendo from Rennes for round £20 million, all while we are fkg about in trying to reduce fees for any player we are after. I can see McNeil on right wing this season and Garner at right back. We will be royally fkd if that's the case.Watch out! Jack Harrison is being let go by Leeds, fits right in with Moyes plans of left wingers on the right and right wingers on the left. I fkg dispair, I really do.

Tottenham always used to end up buying players we were interested in, now it's Forest! McAtee at £30M looks like a real world valuation of a player, they've done well. Should Southampton join the real world we can at least now be confident that Forest won't swoop.

Is McAtee that good? He seems like one of those bit part players that looks good around good players. Like when Liverpool
Flogged Brewster and Ibe for a combined 40 million or Mark Robins, Jonathan Greening etc at Man Utd

Robert, who were these fast players around Zidane?
Name them.
Anyway, Dibling isn’t exactly slow.
It’s more about acceleration. Ndaiye isn’t slow.
Barry looks like he has some pace, he’s no slouch. And he can run the channel or drift wide.
Same with Beto.
If we ever sign a right back, I’d hope he’d be quick and looking to go beyond, as Roberto Carlos did for Zidane, there you go, named him for you.
Raul wasn’t fast, or Morientes, nor Figo or Beckham.
But I suppose Brazilian Ronaldo was, and Henry for France did compliment Zidane nicely.
We can accommodate Dibling is my point, and if average players are going for £35+m, then £47m plus whatever is more than reasonable.
Get it done.

Tantrum of the day for Paul Kossoff, congratulations.

Hutchinson at £35m is a lot. McAtee was out of contract next summer so it’s a bit desperate to pay £30m. Both these lads look decent but have a hell of a lot to prove.

The same is true for Dibling, we’re right to try to reduce the price. We need to get the right players for the right price eventually rather than the wrong player or the wrong price just because we “WANT IT RIGHT NOW DADDY!”

Mike #24

I don’t see it as a tantrum at all. In fact it’s RIDICULOUS that we’ve not managed to sign a single RB or RW when we probably need 2 in each position

Further, we’ve had all summer and consequently go into our first game undercooked.

You call it a tantrum, I think most of us would call it standards

I think Moyes will blow up again v soon. We already had a rag tag squad, and out of that we lost Young Doucoure DCL and Harrison players of varying ability but who played nearly every game when they were fit. That's nearly half a team, and the only player to come in who you could be confident will be playing regularly is Dewsbury Hall (with Grealish's injury record). So we are currently way down on last year, let alone significantly improving the squad. And the effing season starts tomorrow.

'ah, but we're waiting to make our killing at the end of the window'. well that's all very well, but players are being bought and sold NOW. Can anybody here foresee a scenario on last day along the lines of 'it's not ideal, but Jack can play both wings, and we know the player. '

To me Mr Kossoff hits the nail on the head.

I have the distinct feeling that like any sane person Friedkin is horrified by the fees being paid for relative nonentities. I doubt he foresaw that when he bought us.

Compared to other club owners he's not mega-wealthy (and neither was Moshiri devoid of his puppet master) so I have little hope that even a "statement" loan like Grealish will encourage any savvy agent/player-of-excellence to join us.

Hope I'm wrong though!

With two weeks to go until the window closes, isn't this an overreaction to Jarrad's injury?

We were recently reading, "why haven't we signed anyone? Couldn't they have arranged some deals for when the window opened?".

The players signed look capable of contributing, with Jack possibly a gem. The business done looks decent value and the business not done looks like reasonable negotiation positioning.

I get the concern, but it is a difficult transfer window and the clubs around us have equal if not greater frustration.

The summer transfer window opened 2 months ago, therefore it is reasonable to question our ability to sign a right-back in that time.

I can accept that the usual commentaries offered might apply for a creative and pacy right winger - sought after in the market etc. But a right back?

Steve Brown

It’s been more than 2 months. We’ve needed a RB since the late BK while we were managerless per Rangers chairman personally decided to waste several million on a Rangers squad player who was poor to start with and has since also become injury prone.

Kieran.

Yes, one of the big mysteries of modern Everton history - who decided to sign Nathan Patterson?

You could argue that the plan to sign a successor to Seamus began in 2017 when he suffered his double leg fracture.

It’s mad. But £30m to £40m just isn’t a big transfer fee. Anything below that is starting to look like a low cost signing in Premier league terms.

Advance talks for Tom King, Wolves goalkeeper, as a third option.

Dibling still has some substance in a deal, we need right back cover, and we may have surprise or two before the window closes.

The squad needs some balance with players playing in their appropriate places and not being played out of position.

See Roma are apparently getting two right wingers this week (Bailey and Sancho) Outtara is going to Brentford and Doak linked to Bournemouth this morning. Hutchinson and Mcatee both going to Forest.

Surely it’s our turn!

Sounds like they're selling one of their better players.

The very tidy Number 17 in Saturday's game is heading to Inter: Manu Kone.

Ian, I remember thinking he was a bargain when they signed him for about £15m. Will be almost tripling their money on him but still surprised they are letting him go.

They apparently may replace him with Magassa from Monaco who could be an option for us at 6.

I'm not sure about the continued suggestion that we need 2 x wide midfielders (not wingers in today's game). Like just about everyone, I don't dispute we need a wide right midfielder, we do.

But we do already have 4 players (Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Grealish and McNeil), who can play in that position if needed. Make it 5 if you include James Garner. I see the need for one, but not sure in the logic for two.

The glaring obvious is what we've been saying for months, some of us for years, is a right back.

No, Ben #25, it's ridiculous to expect the club to have filled every hole in the lineup with more than two weeks still remaining in the transfer window. Especially since we do have to shop judiciously amongst all the overpriced candidates out there, without risking the future in the process.

And I emphasize the word “process” because I think anyone who truly expected us to patch all the holes in the squad in just one window is edging a bit too close to delusional.

Based on their performance so far, I remain convinced that our recruitment team will bring in a right back and a right wing, even if it's on loan in the final hours of the transfer window.

And if we are a bit short on the right for Leeds, so be it. It's a long damn season.

Robert,

I wasn't saying the final £37.5M was robbery in the market; I was suggesting it was expensive in terms of the budget we have. I don't want us shelling out a large portion of our kitty on a player who has a lot to prove, a lot to improve and so far seems overhyped.

I would much rather pay an extra £10M on a player who looks the real deal, showed that he can cause the top teams all sorts of difficulties and has the potential to go right to the top.

Gutted they got McAtee as well for an absolute steal as he's a great little player who is also versatile.

Mike to be fair to TFG I have been impressed by how they have went about their business even if I have reservations about the players they have brought in. As you know Ihave been very critical about them based on Roma and the amateurish way they went about their early decisions at Everton.

However
We have lost Doucoure, replaced with Grealish and Charly.
We have lost Mangala replaced with KDH
We have replaced Young (who was never 1st choice under Moyes) with Aznou.
We have replaced DCL with Barry.
We have replaced Begovic with Travers.

For good or bad the owners are backing Moyes with the players he wants and the importance of how he views the rest of the squad.

I expect a top right winger because we don't have one but I don't expect a top right back because Moyes will play O'Brien and the Scot will want our biggest spends on the areas he seems vital.

In terms of acquisitions, that's 6 in which is better than most and the likelihood of a minimum of 3 more to follow.

TFG have certainly backed the manager and his footprints are all over the signings we have made so far.

Sam...do you not think that Roma generate their own money and can spend it how they like.
They are arguably a bigger draw than us for top players also.

Meanwhile, Forest sign James McAtee and Omari Hutchinson.

Bournemouth are close to an agreement with Liverpool for Ben Doak in the region of £25m.

Doak going to Bournemouth for £25M. Good player if he can stay fit.

That's Doak, Hutchinson, Guessand, Outarra and Mcatee all moving in last week or so to Premier League rivals. Guess we must be pretty confident on Dibling or another to not have tried hard on any of those RW players.

Conor #39 agreed, the new management has certainly met my expectations. Whether they've signed,the right players will be determined in time, but I certainly like the way they do business.

Michael, just a reminder that Tim Weah has signed with Marseille and is off the list.

Bournemouth have opened talks to sign Scotland winger Ben Doak from Liverpool. The Reds want £25M for the 19-year-old.

Could he do a job for us? Yes, he's better than, um, well, better than um, whoever we can rope in and play out of position, so yes he can do a job for us, but our great recruitment team will probably haggle, and try to reduce the fee and he'll go elsewhere.

I agree with Paul Kossof, we should be going for Ben Doak at £25M would be a steal in my opinion.

Sunderland about to sign Mukiele… What the fuck? Why were we not all over that as he would solve our right-back and central cover for the next 3 years???

Always thought his game was tailor made for the Premier League with his power pace and is a great one on one defender.

You are right, Conor, that would be very frustrating. He would have been ideal. I am clinging to this idea that we have a plan because we must have surely?!

Some of Sunderland's new players look good quality though.

McAtee for £20 million, and yet Liverpool want £25 million for Doak?

They are absolutely brilliant at getting top money for young players, our neighbours, especially when compared with Everton.

Davies - free transfer, Kenny - free transfer and DCL - free transfer.

Liverpool sold Nico Williams, who was comparable to Jonjoe Kenny, for about £20M, and are now looking to get another £25M for a kid who has played a few games in senior football?

The kid might be special, he might even be worth a punt, but my only hope is that Everton, can become as ultra-professional, and ruthless as our neighbours..

I definitely wouldn’t compare Doak with Kenny, Tony!

Doak is different gravy.

Steve, if you look at the underlying point Tony makes, Liverpool command high prices for their young players.

A combination of using their name and clubs thinking "He played for Liverpool, he must be good".

Fair enough, Steve, but I don’t know how you could read what I posted and then come to that conclusion, if I’m being honest, mate!

The obvious difference between the two clubs, Jon, is that even if they had four or five injuries, Liverpool have got enough quality in their squad to cope.

Hopefully this comment is enough to jinx the bastards tonight.

The RS got £15m from Bournemouth for Jordan Ibe in 2016. Which was daylight robbery.

They then got £23.5m from Sheff Utd for Rhian Brewster in 2020. Which was grand larceny.

They just keep doing it and for that reason alone I would swerve Ben Doak. They rarely sell good players nowadays. Sheedy, Morrisey, Beardsley etc were decades ago.

Fair enough Danny and Tony.

I think I just mean I actually think Doak is a player they are prepared to let go who could actually turn out to be really good.

Apart from Dibling (Zouma part II?) we aren't even being connected to anyone right now.

Where have all the rumours and gossip gone to? Is that it, Dibling or bust?

Elton Welsby said on Twitter yesterday that the club are close to signing three players but Moyesy doesn't know who they are. Tongue in cheek?

Colin, no rumours doesn't mean no moves. No one knew about King and the Alcaraz signing came out of nowhere.

I'm not sure Elton Welsby knows anything! Lots of people on Twitter trying to get followings by appearing like ITKs.

There's been that many rumours they've become meaningless.

KDH was another that happened quite quickly. More like that hopefully

I remember in the past fans moaning that the club should keep transfer targets a secret, for fear of other clubs potentially poaching, now fans are moaning because the club are not letting the world know who they are after. No doubt there are plenty of irons in the fire and I would be more than happy if they were kept a secret.

True, Rob, but a juicy rumour now and then keeps everyone on their toes.

Some of us are still waiting for Riquelme to show up.

There’s still two weeks to go plenty can happen. There are a few that got away and Luiz looks like he’s going to forest but we still have time. I imagine all the focus now is on Leeds

Looking for a busy couple of weeks on the recruitment front (be preferable if it doesn't actually go all the way to the wire on Deadline Day).

If not Jack Grealish may find he's expected to play several positions at the same time. ;)

Sunday morning links – Yves Bissuma, Spurs midfielder; Tyrese Campbell, Sheffield United striker and son of Super Kev; Molina, right back at Atletico.

The latter would prefer to stay at Atletico, but is being hawked around Europe including swap deals at Juve, and links to Bournemouth, Southampton, Everton.

Argentine right-back/wing-back, he's played 200-odd games for the Spanish side and Udenese, scoring 18 goals and 25 assists. 27 years of age. Looks an interesting player, and could be a huge upgrade to the right.

Watch him sign for Roma...