Updated at 12:00pm BST 20/07/2026.
The biggest development on Sunday saw Ipswich Town verbally agree a £20million deal for Abdul Fatawu, ending Everton’s interest in the Leicester winger just days after this tracker flagged unverified claims of a done deal — those claims can now be put to bed.
Elsewhere, Everton have moved for Manchester City’s Rico Lewis as a right-back solution, while the Iliman Ndiaye contract situation remains unresolved as the winger returns from Senegal’s World Cup exit. The long-running Grealish and Murphy situations continue to develop, and Norton-Cuffy remains the most advanced deal in progress.
✅ Confirmed arrivals
Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough)
Everton completed the signing of Hackney for an initial £16.5m, with the deal potentially rising to around £25m through performance-related add-ons.
The reigning Championship Player of the Season arrives as one of England’s brightest young midfielders and is expected to bring composure, progression and creativity from deep rather than acting as a direct replacement for Idrissa Gueye.
Tyrique George (Chelsea)
George’s loan spell has been converted into a permanent transfer worth more than £20m.
Having already spent time working under Moyes, the winger arrives with valuable Premier League experience despite his age and is expected to provide greater competition in the wide areas.
Merlin Rohl
Everton also exercised their option to sign Rohl permanently following an encouraging loan spell.
Injuries limited his impact at times, but the club remain convinced by his long-term potential and see him as an important midfield option heading into the new campaign.
Arthur Barratt (Chelsea)
The 16-year-old midfielder has joined from Chelsea’s academy.
Barratt is viewed as one for the future rather than an immediate first-team option and is expected to continue his development within Everton’s academy system.
❌ Confirmed departures
Idrissa Gueye
Gueye’s second spell at Everton came to an end when his contract expired on 30 June.
Despite calls from supporters for a new deal, the club opted to move in a different direction as Moyes reshaped his midfield.
Seamus Coleman
Everton’s long-serving captain left the club after 17 years of outstanding service.
Wrexham and Blackburn Rovers have both been credited with interest, though Coleman reportedly earned around £55k a week at Everton — well above what either club’s top earners currently command — meaning a significant pay cut would be needed if he continues playing.
Reece Welch
The academy graduate departed following the expiry of his contract and has since been linked with a move to Danish side Lyngby.
🔵 Live transfer targets
Pape Gueye (Villarreal) ⭐ NEW
Position: Midfielder
Status: Agreement in principle
Everton have reached an agreement with Villarreal worth around £24million plus a further £4million in add-ons, some tied to Champions League qualification. Personal terms and a medical are still to be finalised, so this remains an agreement in principle rather than a done deal — but the Toffees are understood to have moved ahead of Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Sunderland to get here.
Gueye’s strong World Cup for Senegal appears to have accelerated talks. If completed, he’d become Everton’s fourth summer signing and a like-for-like reinforcement following Idrissa Gana Gueye’s departure as a free agent.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Genoa)
Position: Right-back
Status: Formal bid submitted
Everton have moved beyond monitoring and put a €15million opening bid on the table for the Genoa right-back. Genoa are said to want closer to €20million, but the sense from those close to the talks is that the gap is narrowing rather than widening.
With Coleman’s exit leaving a genuine vacancy and Jake O’Brien having been used out of position there for long spells last season — a problem laid bare again in Saturday’s 4-0 pre-season win at Dundee, where midfielder Merlin Röhl had to fill in — Everton are keen to get this one over the line before the end of pre-season.
Rico Lewis (Manchester City) ⭐ NEW
Position: Right-back
Status: Genuine interest, City open to selling
David Moyes is personally driving interest in Lewis, with City reportedly willing to sell for around £30million despite his contract running to 2030. Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Fulham have also been credited with interest, but Everton are currently seen as the frontrunners.
There’s a wrinkle: Everton also want Jack Grealish back on a second loan later in the window, and Premier League rules block loaning two players from the same club simultaneously. That means Lewis would need to be a permanent deal if Moyes wants both him and Grealish through the door.
Roony Bardghji (Barcelona)
Position: Winger
Status: One of six Premier League clubs in contact
Everton have made contact with Barcelona, joining Aston Villa, Leeds United, Sunderland, Fulham and Brighton in a crowded field for the 20-year-old. Interest is Europe-wide, with clubs from Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie also credited.
Barcelona want the situation resolved before their pre-season tour of England begins on 27 July, giving interested clubs roughly ten days to act. Bardghji is understood to prefer a loan with regular game time; Leeds remain seen as the most advanced of the English suitors at this stage.
Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
Position: Winger
Status: Ongoing
Everton’s interest has never disappeared, though a permanent deal is reportedly complicated by the numbers involved — the Toffees’ ceiling has been put at £5m–£10m, against City’s earlier £50m valuation. A second loan remains the more realistic route, likely to be revisited later in the window, though it may now hinge on how the Lewis situation resolves.
Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United)
Position: Winger
Status: Genuine interest, no offer yet
Everton are “keen” on Murphy alongside their pursuit of Grealish, per Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, with the club looking at a possible double swoop for attacking reinforcements. Murphy has a year left on his Newcastle contract and could be available at a reduced fee rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer. No formal bid has been submitted.
Christian Kofane (Bayer Leverkusen)
Position: Forward
Status: Negotiations continue
Everton are understood to have made a formal approach, with positive discussions held between the club and the player’s representatives. Competition remains, with Bournemouth continuing to monitor developments, though their interest is complicated by their own need to sell Junior Kroupi first.
Douglas Luiz (Juventus)
Position: Midfielder
Status: Monitoring
Italian reports continue to link Everton with the former Aston Villa midfielder. While nothing appears advanced, Luiz’s experience and Premier League pedigree make him an understandable option.
Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille)
Position: Midfielder
Status: Monitoring
Everton have been credited with interest in the DR Congo international alongside Tottenham, Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton. Lille value him highly and are under no pressure to sell with his contract running to 2028, making this one for the medium term rather than an imminent deal.
Cesare Casadei (Torino)
Position: Midfielder
Status: Long-term interest
Torino continue to value Casadei at around €30million, making a deal difficult despite Everton’s admiration. Real Betis and Brighton are also credited with interest.
Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Position: Right-back
Status: Alternative option
Everton remain interested in strengthening at right-back, though Norton-Cuffy’s advancing bid situation makes Spence look more like a fallback than a primary target for now.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)
Position: Right-back
Status: Alternative option
Wan-Bissaka has also been linked as Moyes assesses several options to strengthen his defence, with his valuation reduced following West Ham’s relegation.
Sam Johnstone / Orjan Nyland
Position: Goalkeeper
Status: Dependent on departures
Both goalkeepers remain under consideration as possible backup options, contingent on Mark Travers leaving Merseyside.
❌ Recently missed
Abdul Fatawu (→ Ipswich Town)
Everton’s interest never advanced beyond monitoring at the same £20m valuation Ipswich have now agreed. The unverified “personal terms” claim we flagged on Friday appears to have been just that — unverified. West Ham and Beşiktaş were also credited with interest but didn’t get close.
🔴 Players linked with exits
Tim Iroegbunam
Bundesliga interest from Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart continues, and Championship new-boys Hull City and Ipswich Town have both also been credited with interest domestically. Everton have so far shown little desire to sell.
Iliman Ndiaye ⭐ UPDATED
Ndiaye is expected back at Finch Farm shortly following Senegal’s World Cup exit, with the contract stand-off still unresolved. The Athletic reports the sticking point is a release clause his camp want included, which Everton have so far resisted. Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham interest remains on file, but Everton’s position is described as “relaxed” given his contract runs to 2029.
Mark Travers
Coventry City continue to monitor the goalkeeper’s situation. A departure would almost certainly prompt Everton to recruit another experienced backup, with Johnstone and Nyland both under consideration.
📝 Contract watch
Thierno Barry
RB Leipzig remain interested after Everton moved quickly to sign the striker. The club see the attention as further proof they secured one of Europe’s brightest young forwards, but would only consider a sale if an exceptional offer arrived.
What next?
Everton’s business is entering a decisive phase. The Norton-Cuffy bid suggests right-back could be resolved within days, and Lewis now offers a second, more expensive route to the same problem. Losing Fatawu to Ipswich stings, but doesn’t change the underlying picture up front. The Ndiaye contract situation remains the one genuinely open question with no clear resolution in sight.
