Updated at 8:20am BST 27/07/2026.
The weekend brought the prospect of Everton’s first serious departure threat of the summer: Al Hilal have opened talks to sign Iliman Ndiaye, adding a Saudi dimension to a retention battle that was already crowded with Premier League interest.
Elsewhere, Jonathan Rowe has moved from background interest to a firm £42m pursuit, Nottingham Forest have emerged as suitors for Beto, and Enzo Maresca’s first comments on Jack Grealish left Everton’s loan hopes no clearer.
James Garner, meanwhile, is now a doubt for the season opener after groin surgery.
The right-back search (El Ouahdi, Johnston, Norton-Cuffy, Rico Lewis) and the Pape Gueye, Franculino Dju, Roony Bardghji, Jacob Murphy, Christian Kofane, Douglas Luiz group remain unchanged from Friday.
✅ 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)
Unchanged, three-way race with Roma and Crystal Palace
Alistair Johnston (Celtic)
Unchanged, monitoring
Dusan Vlahovic (free agent)
Unchanged, approach received, not yet pursued
Franculino Dju (FC Midtjylland)
Unchanged, one of five PL clubs monitoring
Roony Bardghji (Barcelona)
Unchanged, one of six PL clubs in contact
Jonathan Rowe (Bologna) ⭐ NEW
Position: Winger
Status: Firm discussions, £42m price attached
Everton have entered firm discussions for the Bologna winger, with a £42m valuation now attached. Rowe only joined Bologna from Marseille last summer, having earlier left Norwich amid a fractious departure, but a strong first Serie A season has pushed him up Moyes’s list. Manchester United are also credited with interest, though Everton are understood to be the more advanced of the two suitors. Bologna, who paid a fraction of that fee twelve months ago, hold the stronger negotiating hand and are in no rush to sell.
Jack Grealish (Manchester City) ⭐ UPDATED
Position: Winger
Status: Loan return uncertain after Maresca’s first comments
Everton’s hopes of a second loan took a step sideways rather than forward this weekend. Asked directly about Grealish’s future in his first press conference as City manager, Enzo Maresca gave an answer that confirmed nothing, stressing his personal relationship with the player without committing either way. The lack of clarity has left the possibility of a loan return in limbo for now, with Everton needing City’s squad picture to settle before any next step becomes clear.
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
The weekend’s biggest development: Al Hilal have opened talks to sign Ndiaye, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Saudi club wanting a second marquee attacking arrival after completing Crysencio Summerville’s move from West Ham. Negotiations are at an early stage, and Ndiaye’s representatives are said to be open to discussions, though any deal depends on Everton’s stance. This is in addition to the existing Premier League interest: Aston Villa have made formal contact, confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, joining Manchester United, City and Tottenham in monitoring the situation. Everton’s valuation is holding at around £69–70m.
Beto (Everton) ⭐ NEW
Status: Interest registered, no approach yet
Nottingham Forest are considering a move for the striker, according to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones. Nothing has progressed beyond interest at this stage, and Everton have made no indication they’re willing to sell, though a departure would sharpen the urgency around alternatives like Vlahovic.
Mark Travers
Unchanged
📝 Contract watch
James Garner ⭐ UPDATED
Aston Villa’s renewed interest (see Friday’s update) is now a secondary concern next to Garner’s fitness. Everton confirmed Garner has undergone successful surgery on a groin issue identified in pre-season, having missed the Dundee and Bolton friendlies. He’s begun rehabilitation at Finch Farm and is targeting a return to first-team training around the opening week of the season — timing that leaves his availability for the Crystal Palace opener on 16 August in real doubt. Villa’s interest, reported by Pete O’Rourke, remains unchanged: Everton still consider him not for sale.
Thierno Barry
Unchanged, RB Leipzig interest, no sale considered
What next?
Ndiaye’s situation has shifted from a Premier League retention battle to something more urgent with Al Hilal’s interest, though talks remain early. Rowe now sits alongside Garner and Grealish as one of three genuinely live storylines heading into the new week, and Beto’s situation is one to watch rather than an active concern yet. The right-back search remains Everton’s most contested position, but for now it’s unchanged from Friday.
