Yakubu has urged Everton to make one final push in the transfer market for a right-back but warned against paying over the odds as the deadline approaches.
The former Blues striker believes a new full-back could complete David Moyes’s squad, although he questioned whether Everton should be prepared to spend the huge fees now being demanded in the market.
Speaking exclusively to ToffeeWeb as part of our Once a Blue series, Yakubu said: “It's been hard, you know, I think it's a couple of players we've been looking at already. Everyone knows already. We really need a right-back.
“[As well as] a right-back, we need a left-back who can push forward. It’s hard when you’re playing a central defender [Jake O’Brien] at right-back. He’s been brilliant for the team but you can tell he’s not a right-back.
"Get the right-back and the team will be good for the season. That’s the position we need."
Everton have been linked with a number of options, with Guela Doue, Daniel Munoz, Timothy Castagne, Matty Cash and Brooke Norton-Cuffy all mentioned as potential acquisitions. Doue is set for Bayer Leverkusen with a €37.5M package agreed with Strasbourg, while Munoz is nearing a £22M transfer to Nottingham Forest
Kenny Tete now appears to be the chosen option, 12 months on from snubbing Everton to renew his contract at Fulham. Everton are nearing an agreement to sign the 30-year-old for around £9M.
Yakubu said that he wants to see an addition that can impact the game at both ends of the pitch, but warned the cost of top talent has become 'crazy' in the current market.
“They're all good players, you know. I don't want to pick one player, it's not my choice. I’ve watched Cash at Aston Villa and he’s been brilliant for years.
“It depends on the manager, what type of player he is looking for. They're all different. We really need a good right-back who can both defend and go forward.
"There are so many right-backs, but who can we bring in? Who wants to come? It’s about the money, you know, the transfer market now is crazy. You're talking about sixty to seventy million, eighty million. Are we ready to pay eighty million for a right-back? I don't think so."
Read more - How to lose hearts and minds
Reader Comments (14)
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2 Posted 31/08/2026 at 13:26:56
3 Posted 31/08/2026 at 13:30:57
Surely not a very good right back.
4 Posted 31/08/2026 at 15:42:45
5 Posted 31/08/2026 at 16:39:18
6 Posted 31/08/2026 at 18:05:08
7 Posted 31/08/2026 at 18:31:49
8 Posted 31/08/2026 at 18:33:25
9 Posted 31/08/2026 at 18:45:04
He never tracked back far enough to even meet any of our fullbacks.
Except maybe at lunch.
10 Posted 31/08/2026 at 18:48:51
11 Posted 31/08/2026 at 19:17:35
Bargain basement? Dibbling cost £35m we've not spent that kind of money for the best part of 5 years. Whether he's good, bad or indifferent isn't the question here... we spent the money.
We bought Hackney for almost 50% of his actual market value - that's good business. Again was N'diaye 'bargain basement' because we only paid £15m for him, how about Branthwaite he cost us £1m... we'd get £60m for him tomorrow.
What do you think we can do, click our left mouse button and pick any player we like and use a slide bar to alter what we can & can't spend? It's not Football Manager 26.
Where's the club getting all of this money to buy what you would consider not to be bargain basement? We certainly don't earn it. We shop where we can afford. That's basically sub £100k a week wages and £20m - £30m valuations.
An owners job now is to simply keep the Club financially secure and improve revenue as this is the only income they can spend on transfers & wages.
They can no longer spend their wealth and the quicker fans realise and understand this the quicker the frustration will ease.
Again you say Moyes' hand are tied? Well, maybe yes, maybe no. He's certainly involved in the discussions on what can be spent during pre season, he knows the score so to publically come out and vent his frustration is simply self preserving sour grapes.
Maybe he should have thought about that during the closing stages of last season when he insisted on continuing to use unfit players when we had fresher legs sat on the bench and losing our final 7 games. This single obstinate decision cost the club £15m - £20m in merit payments. Money which would have boltered the transfer kitty.
12 Posted 31/08/2026 at 19:58:30
13 Posted 31/08/2026 at 20:49:41
14 Posted 01/09/2026 at 01:07:44
I was also hoping for rather more about time with us and some hilarious anecdotes. Also, it would be nice and revealing to have someone who matters to us and who does not pace Yakubu just toe the party line.
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1 Posted 31/08/2026 at 13:15:11
NSNO (Nil Satis Nisi Optimism)