Updated at 7:55am BST 24/07/2026.
Everton’s right-back search has become genuinely crowded in the last 48 hours: Celtic’s Alistair Johnston has emerged as a fresh name, while the club’s own ownership structure is complicating the Zakaria El Ouahdi pursuit — Roma, also Friedkin-owned, are chasing the same player.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa have made contact over both Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner, and Everton are weighing a free-agent move for Dusan Vlahovic.
The Norton-Cuffy bid, Pape Gueye agreement and Rico Lewis pursuit remain unchanged from Wednesday.
✅ Confirmed arrivals
(unchanged — Hackney, George, Rohl, Barratt as before)
❌ Confirmed departures
(unchanged — Gueye, Coleman, Welch as before)
🔵 Live transfer targets
Pape Gueye (Villarreal) — unchanged, agreement in principle
Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Genoa) — unchanged, formal bid submitted
Rico Lewis (Manchester City) — unchanged, genuine interest
Zakaria El Ouahdi (Genk) ⭐ UPDATED
Position: Right-back
Status: Complicated by internal competition
The Roma link has hardened rather than faded. As covered on the site, both clubs sit under Friedkin Group ownership, and Roma’s ability to offer Champions League football gives them the edge if it comes down to persuading the player. Genk’s valuation has also crept up, from around €15m to closer to €17m, given the competition. With Crystal Palace still in the picture too, this has gone from a value fallback to a genuinely uncertain three-way race — awkward timing if the Lewis deal drags.
Alistair Johnston (Celtic) ⭐ NEW
Position: Right-back
Status: Monitoring
Everton have been credited with interest in the Canada international following a strong World Cup, as reported by Record Sport. Fulham retain a long-standing interest of their own. Johnston signed a new contract at Celtic earlier this year running to 2029, and the Scottish champions are in no rush to sell — it would take a significant offer to change that. A fourth name in an increasingly stretched right-back search.
Dusan Vlahovic (free agent) ⭐ NEW
Position: Forward
Status: Approach received, not yet pursued
Everton have been approached over a potential deal by the striker’s camp, rather than the other way round, and are said to be weighing up whether to follow it up. Vlahovic left Juventus as a free agent on 1 July after 50 goals in 123 appearances during four and a half years in Turin. Bayern Munich and Newcastle have made contact without progressing; Real Madrid have also been offered the player. His wages — reported at well over £300,000 a week at Juventus — are the obvious obstacle to a move materialising.
Franculino Dju (FC Midtjylland) — unchanged, one of five PL clubs monitoring
Roony Bardghji (Barcelona) — unchanged, one of six PL clubs in contact
Jack Grealish (Manchester City) — unchanged, second loan the likely route
Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United) — unchanged, genuine interest, no offer
Christian Kofane (Bayer Leverkusen) — unchanged, negotiations continue
Douglas Luiz, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Cesare Casadei, Djed Spence, Johnstone/Nyland — unchanged
❌ Recently missed
(unchanged — Fatawu, Wan-Bissaka, Bowen as before)
🔴 Players linked with exits
Tim Iroegbunam — unchanged
Iliman Ndiaye ⭐ UPDATED
Aston Villa have now made formal contact, confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, adding to Manchester United’s long-standing interest. Villa’s move is uncomplicated by comparison to United’s — they’ve sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m and have a clear gap to fill, while United remain unable to progress until Marcus Rashford’s future is resolved. Everton’s valuation is holding at around £70m, with Romano describing Ndiaye as “crucial” to Moyes’s plans regardless of the interest. Manchester City and Tottenham are also credited with monitoring the situation.
Mark Travers — unchanged
📝 Contract watch
James Garner ⭐ NEW
Aston Villa are readying a renewed move for Garner, according to Pete O’Rourke, with Unai Emery’s side long-term admirers who made an approach back in January. That approach came before Garner signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract at Everton later that month, tying him to Goodison until 2030 — Villa’s interest hasn’t gone away despite it. Garner has been one of Everton’s most consistent performers this season and won his first England caps during the international window, factors that have only sharpened the admiration. Everton’s position is unchanged: not for sale, with Moyes viewing him as central to his midfield.
Thierno Barry — unchanged, RB Leipzig interest, no sale considered
What next?
The right-back position has gone from Everton’s most advanced business to their most contested — four names now in play, with the Friedkin ownership link to Roma adding a wrinkle nobody anticipated. Ndiaye and Garner give the club two genuine retention battles running simultaneously, though neither buyer looks close to meeting Everton’s valuation yet. Vlahovic is one to watch rather than an active pursuit at this stage.
