Everton

Mike Richards
Fan writer

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This summer will see a raft of changes, both on and off the pitch at the football club.

The most obvious is our move to the newly named Hill Dickinson Stadium - ensuring next season will have an alien feel for all Evertonians.

What this means and where it will catapult the club to in the longer term will take some time to establish, but it will surely have a positive impact in attracting new players.

The number of departing players already highlights exactly how much work there is for the manager and recruitment team to do.

Certain positions will certainly take precedent over others.

The permanent g of Charly Alcaraz has certainly been a positive start to proceedings.

The full-back positions are both an area of concern, with right-back a priority, as it has been for the last couple of summers.

Nathan Patterson has struggled to impress since his arrival in 2022, and any notion he was the successor to the Seamus Coleman full-back role has sadly diminished.

The club have already made a statement of intent in looking to improve the ability in the final third, with Liam Delap approached and offered a deal to sign.

Although the move did not materialise, it tells you that a new number nine is top of the manager's wishlist and rightly so.

I would love to see the same hunger applied to recruiting more pace in attacking areas.

It is evident we will not be able to tackle every area this window, but I would hope to see raw speed seriously considered.

The transition from defence to attack can often be pivotal.

One thing is for sure, we all need to strap ourselves in for a whirlwind period of change this summer.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external

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Everton have confirmed their first two matches of the 2025-26 pre-season.

The Toffees will face League Two side Accrington Stanley on 15 July at Wham Stadium, followed by a match against Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers on 19 July at Ewood Park.

Everton, Manchester United and West Ham could make a move for Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Al-Hilal prepared to offload the 30-year-old. (Talksport), external

Chelsea are considering a move for Everton and England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, 22, while Tottenham could rival the Blues for his signature this summer. (Teamtalk), external

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

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BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha has given us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club throughout this season.

But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.

Maybe ask him who should be on your club's radar this summer, or where a rumoured target or new g might fit into the team.

Perhaps see what he thinks about how successful a new recruit might be, who it is vital to keep, or what is needed to make next season a success.

Send in your questions here and we'll put a selection to him

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BBC Sport chief football news reporter Simon Stone is answering your questions on the summer transfer window.

Adam asked: Will David Moyes have money to spend this summer, or are Everton, and other non 'big six' clubs, held back by the two-tier PSR rules?

Simon answered: I think this summer will be fascinating for Everton. To answer your substantive point, they will be held back by the rules because they have made losses that clearly put them in P&S trouble historically and they are still being worked through.

Also, while the costs involved in building the new stadium have been refinanced in a much less onerous way, they still have to be paid and the benefits, such as increased matchday revenue, are only just starting to be felt in of season ticket sales. If their approach at Roma is any guide, the Friedkin Group would presumably be keen to spend big this summer. However, that seems unlikely without player sales.

In addition, that is not David Moyes' approach. It sounds boring, and it might not be what you want to hear, but I think if Everton can remain quietly in mid-table next season, that would get them to a point where they can really kick on in 2026-27.

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

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Paul Brown from the Paddock Blues podcast spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside about Carlos Alcaraz g for Everton on a permanent deal: "It was a no-brainer, at the end of the season it was the deal we all wanted to be done straight away so I'm really happy about it.

"He just has something different about him - he gets his head up and runs with the ball and is always looking for options around him. We don't have a lot of players who are comfortable on the ball but he is definitely in that category."

On Abdoulaye Doucoure's departure, he added: "Of course they are both footballers, but I would call Alcaraz more of a 'footballer' than Doucoure. We are trying to go down a different route and we will want the ball more going forward.

"I would have kept him personally, but if he went than so be it. We need to move on as a club from the past five years and start fresh with a new ground and owners."

Everton are interested in Brighton midfielder Matt O'Riley, 24, but are unsure if the Seagulls will sell the Denmark international. (Sky Sports), external

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

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We asked for you to tell us what Everton need to do in the summer transfer window.

Here are some of your comments:

Bray: I would like to see Francisco Trincao from Sporting. It's quite unrealistic but I feel he could flourish under David Moyes.

Jeff: We finally seem to be getting rid of the deadwood. Doucoure has not been given a new contract and the on-loan failures are all going back to their clubs. That's all positive. Seamus Coleman has been a great servant to the club but he really needs to hang up his boots. He is part of the deadwood too. We also need to offload Calvert-Levin. He is a Championship striker at best. On top of that, he is injured half of the time.

Martin: Everton have always been known for talismanic strikers, like Dean, Young, Royle, Latchford, Ferguson and Lukaku. We desperately need to find another one!

Chris: First thing is to sort the wheat from the chaff with the out-of-contract players. Second is to sign Alcatraz. Delap has chosen to go to Chelsea so we need a reasonably priced striker. Moyes is good at bargain buys. Look to the Championship - Cahill came from Preston and what a star he was. Also look at our academy players and use them in cup games - that's how Sir Alex Ferguson unearthed his golden boys. We need a couple of back-up defenders, midfielders and a number nine.

Sam: Nick Woltemade is one to look at for versatility in attack, and Kyle Walker-Peters on a free looks like a steal as cover for both full-backs. Apart from that, we need a partner for Idrissa and a marquee right winger and we're good to go.

Thank you for the you submitted on the Premier League club pages.

Our aim is to contain all of the BBC's in-depth coverage of that team in one place, so it helpful to hear from you - you are who the pages are for after all.

We are going through all your responses and will take suggestions on board for next season.

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Everton fan Mike Richards has identified Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters as a player the Toffees should look to sign this summer.

The 28-year-old is yet to sign a new deal with the Saints and could be available on a free transfer.

"There has got to be a mixture of deals [this summer] - using cash, the loan market and free transfers," Richards told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"Someone like Walker-Peters is on a free. We need these kind of players who know the Premier League. He's a good standard and can play left-back and right-back.

"We are losing Ashley Young, who has done a decent job at left-back and right-back. It is a shame he is gone, but Walker-Peters [would be a good replacement].

"He wouldn't be on huge wages and would be helpful at the back."

Listen to the full discussion on the summer transfer window on BBC Sounds

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The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.

Are there certain players you are desperate for Everton to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority. And what about sales - who needs to go?

So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?

Let us know here

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Everton fan Mike Richards spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside about the importance of g Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent transfer following his loan spell from Flamengo: "[David] Moyes has been careful with him and he hasn't just invoked the clause automatically.

"Moyes puts a lot on the character of the players. He has turned players down before because he has met them and not liked them.

"It is not big money, I think it is a bargain. If we let that deal slip, other Premier League sides will have watched him since January and get him for themselves for that kind of money.

"I've been really impressed by him. I see him as an evolution in that number 10 role - going from Doucoure, who is a hard worker but not technically the best, to Alcaraz, who carries the ball really well and scores and assists. He impacts the play further up the pitch a lot more than Doucore.

"For me, it was the most obvious deal of the summer to get done."

Listen to the full discussion on the summer transfer window on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on our fan contributor Mike Richards' end of season scorecard (27 May, 12:43 BST).

Here are some of your comments:

Jack: Totally agree with everything Mike said. I am now looking forward to a new season with optimism instead of nervousness. Well done Moyesy for turning our team around.

Mark: I agree with Mike. We need to look at this as a three-year project. As we need to develop a new team with a mix of current and new players. Our target next season should be 10th or higher. the classy "B" teams and progress from there.

Paul: I totally agree the second half of the season has been nothing more than remarkable. All of the players have rolled their sleeves up and really got stuck in since the new owners have come in, in such a short space of time. Things are really on the up.

Gary: A breath of new blue air when David Moyes returned, a great second half of the season, cannot wait to visit and watch at the new stadium and the transition to better times. COYB

Adam: My overriding emotion from our season is optimism...which is always a worrying sensation for us Evertonians! But we should be optimistic for once. We've got a manager who just gets our club perfectly and who will only bring in players who are willing and able to be taught about our club. We've got our shiny new stadium to make our own and build the atmosphere and rituals from scratch. We've got our finances and behind-the-scenes back in order. And we've got owners who are seemingly very keen to align themselves with what our club stands for and who have now got some good experience of owning a big, historical, ionate club through Roma. Everything, literally everything, for once is aligning and coming together and pointing to a much better future from Everton Football Club.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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It's looking like being a busy summer at Everton.

The revival following David Moyes' appointment in January allowed the Toffees to finish 13th in the table and they can now look at their transfer plans.

The Blues have announced a number of departures but are in discussions with Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz to make his loan deal from Flamengo into a permanent.

Talks between the two parties are said to be going well.

Combative midfielder Idrissa Gueye, who won the club's player of the year award at the age of 35, is also in discussions over a contract extension, with his current deal ending this summer.

Boss Moyes mentioned the club had already spoken to Ipswich striker Liam Delap and conversations continue to take place, though the Englishman also has interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, leaving clubs waiting on his decision.

Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and defender Michael Keane are both out of contract too but there are no indications as to whether they will extend their stays to feature at the club's new stadium next season.

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The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.

The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.

The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.

The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.

Read the full article here

We asked you to select your Everton player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

And with the poll now closed, we can reveal the winner is... Jordan Pickford!

Here's what Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external said about him:

The biggest compliment I can pay England's number one is that his consistency has become his norm.

Despite the usual apparent agenda against him from many who don't watch him every week, his importance for Everton has once again come through.

See the final poll breakdown

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Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.

The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.

Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.

Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).

Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.

Everton have ed Leeds United in the race to sign 33-year-old Newcastle United and England striker Callum Wilson, who is out of contract next month. (The Sun, external)

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

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Mike Richards
Fan writer

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Season rating: 6.5/10. All for the second half of the season when David Moyes returned to the club. Imagine what he could have done with a full season in charge.

Happy with your manager? Like fish and chips, Moyes and Everton are the perfect partnership. Since he walked back through the doors of Finch Farm, a calmness washed over much of the fanbase.

Eights league wins from 19 games has been some turnaround. The manager has made Everton watchable again, with a belief that we can get something from every match. I am delighted he is back home. A big summer awaits him.

Unsung hero: The usual standouts of Idrissa Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye and Jordan Pickford will rightly be praised, but I have been delighted with Jake O'Brien.

So often left out in the cold by Sean Dyche, Moyes has employed him as a right-back, and latterly in his preferred centre-back position.

He has delivered numerous impressive performances, highlighting how baffling it was that he wasn't used by the previous manager. He will only improve further next season.

Player you would most like to sign: The most obvious one is making the loan g of Charly Alcaraz a permanent one. For approximately 15m euros, he has more than shown the fee is an absolute bargain. With Abdoulaye Doucoure on his way, Alcaraz can make the position his own.

As the club opens a new chapter, he is the kind of technically gifted player that can propel us to the next level.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Honestly, satisfaction. Satisfied with the second half of the season and more than satisfied with the manager.

It has been a season that has brought about much change, with the ownership saga finally coming to an end. The immense relief has been palpable on that front.

After what seems like an eternity, our club can now look forward, without fear.

Do you agree with Mike's answers? Pick one or two categories and send your views

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Here's my quick assessment of Everton's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.

Ended the season: 13th

Pre-season prediction: 11th

A season that was one of despair until Sean Dyche's sacking in January ended full of hope. The Friedkin Group, ambitious new American owners, took charge, and David Moyes returned to inspire a superb revival.

Three successive league wins at the end, including victories at Fulham and Newcastle United, confirmed the improvement, but Moyes will still oversee a major squad overhaul.

Now it is off to the magnificent new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey after the men's team bade an emotional farewell to Goodison Park.

A big summer lies ahead but Everton's future looks so much brighter.

What I said in August: "They will need luck with injuries to fulfil this forecast, as well as one or two more additions, but I do not see Everton struggling this season."

Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here