Everton have been busy in transfer market - could Phillips or Diarra be next? (2024)

There was always an expectation the summer would be busy for Everton. But this busy?

The profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) deadline on June 30 loomed large for them and others. Positive strides were taken in their search for new owners, only for Dan Friedkin’s takeover bid to stutter and then collapse. Where that search goes next is still unclear.

Rumours swirled over the future of key players Jarrad Branthwaite, Amadou Onana and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Onana has been sold to Aston Villa for £50million ($64m). Two bids from Manchester United for Branthwaite, both significantly below Everton’s valuation, were rejected and Calvert-Lewin’s contractual situation remains unresolved. He is now into the final 12 months of his deal after rejecting a switch to Newcastle United.

Few would have expected five new additions — Tim Iroegbunam, Jack Harrison, Iliman Ndiaye, Jesper Lindstrom and Jake O’Brien — to be through the door at this stage. Everton have been one of the league’s most active clubs, using the accountancy deadline — they say — to resolve lingering issues with PSR and accelerate their transfer business. The PSR deadline presented unique opportunities and made this a window in fast-forward mode.

It would be a surprise, though, for a variety of reasons, if the final month of the window continued in anything like the same vein.

There are still issues to be resolved in the Everton squad. There was always a sense internally that there were so many needs that not all of them could be resolved given the tight financial landscape. The club is working to a tight budget as it looks for an owner.

The permanent deals that have been done have followed a similar pattern to those of recent windows, with small upfront costs and bulk payments deferred.

Not every club is willing to accept such terms, shrinking the pool of players available to Everton’s recruitment staff. But there is positivity about the work done to strengthen the squad on a budget. In permanent signings Ndiaye, O’Brien and Iroegbunam, they have three young, hungry players who should add value now and in the future. Harrison is tried and tested and Lindstrom offers potential at low risk.

Building on that sense of positivity and momentum would have been easier but for a string of disappointing pre-season results. Sean Dyche’s side followed up their 3-3 draw at Sligo Rovers with a 2-1 defeat at League Two Salford City on Saturday and a 3-0 loss to Coventry City of the Championship this Tuesday.

Pre-season is about far more than just results but a stream of injuries has highlighted the lack of quality depth in certain positions, particularly defence and central midfield.

Including Dele Alli, who technically remained under contract until the end of July, Dyche was without 10 first-team players for the Coventry defeat. The priority is getting as many back as quickly as possible, with James Tarkowski, Idrissa Gueye, Vitalii Mykolenko and new signings O’Brien and Lindstrom among those closing on first-team minutes. A good job, because the side that lined up against Salford and Coventry looked susceptible defensively.

But is the most urgent need in central midfield, where Everton have lost Onana and Andre Gomes? Iroegbunam has made a positive early impression since arriving in a £9m deal from Villa, but options are being assessed in that position. Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips is under consideration, with Everton having one remaining domestic loan spot available after Harrison’s return from Leeds United. Phillips would bring experience as Iroegbunam finds his way in the top flight.

Strasbourg’s attacking midfielder Habib Diarra has been linked. Diarra, 20, would command a significant fee and the Ligue 1 club are doing what they can to keep him. The France youth international, who switched to Senegal in March, can play also on the wing and has been on Everton’s radar for some time.

It remains notable, too, that Dele is repeatedly included in injury bulletins by staff. A decision will be made on his future once he has returned to full training.

A move for Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto stalled. That was always seen as a difficult, if not impossible, deal, and Everton’s priorities lie elsewhere after the Lindstrom deal. As well as the Dane, signed on loan from Napoli, Dyche has Harrison, Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil as options in wide positions.

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There is a feeling that Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson, Mykolenko and Ashley Young are sufficient for their full-back stocks, particularly with James Garner and McNeil also capable of filling in deeper. Coleman, 35, and Young, 39, though, will have to be carefully managed and are out of contract at the end of the season, creating a potential full-back shortage next summer.

In terms of outgoings, O’Brien’s arrival leaves Dyche with one more senior central defender (five) than is necessary and opens the door for Mason Holgate’s possible exit should the right offer materialise. Striker Neal Maupay is another who would be available at the right price. The French striker is settled in the UK and enjoyed his loan spell with former club Brentford last season.

There is still uncertainty over Calvert-Lewin’s future. Everton are aware of interest in his services, but a move to Newcastle collapsed and all options remain on the table for the striker, who is yet to sign a new deal and into final 12 months of his contract. Contingencies have been explored should he decide to leave this summer, but he could still be integrated if he signs fresh terms.

It is his situation, as well as the search for another midfielder, that offers most intrigue as Everton move into the final month of the window.

They will struggle to keep pace with their early business, and there is still plenty of work to do to get the squad ready for the new season.

(Top photo: Phillips and Diarra would be welcome additions on loan. Getty Images)

Patrick Boyland has been The Athletic's Everton correspondent since 2019. Prior to joining the company, he worked for ESPN, Mail Online and press agency Sportsbeat, where he covered numerous major sporting events. Boyland's views on Everton have been sought out by local and national media, while he is also a regular on a number of podcasts focusing on the club.Follow him on Twitter: @Paddy_Boyland