Everton’s 2026 summer transfer window is now closed. This update, published on 17 September 2026, brings our original transfer tracker article up to date with every deal David Moyes completed before the deadline and where the squad now stands.
Seven senior players arrived at Hill Dickinson Stadium across the window, while two significant departures reshaped the forward line. The headline business came late, with a boyhood-club loan return sealed on deadline day itself.
Everton 2026 summer window update: September 2026 position
The window shut with Moyes having added seven senior faces to his squad. That business ranged from permanent transfers to a high-profile loan, and it was balanced by the sale of a key forward and the collapse of a proposed marquee signing.
With trading now finished, the focus shifts to how these players fit together and where the thinnest areas of the squad remain heading into the season.
Every incoming deal completed in the 2026 summer window
Jack Grealish provided the deadline-day headline, rejoining Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City. It is a return to the club that developed him before his move to Manchester in 2021.
Brennan Johnson joined from Crystal Palace in a direct player-swap deal that saw Dwight McNeil move the other way. Hayden Hackney also arrived, completing a transfer from Middlesbrough.
Everton paid a reported fee of around £19m to sign Merlin Röhl on a permanent deal from Freiburg. Tyrique George followed him through the door, completing a permanent move from Chelsea reported to be worth more than £20m.
Christian Nørgaard arrived from Arsenal for approximately £7m, adding experience in midfield. Ainsley Maitland-Niles completed the seven-strong list of arrivals, joining from Lyon for around £4m.
Major departures from Hill Dickinson Stadium
Iliman Ndiaye left for Manchester City in the window’s biggest departure, a deal worth £60m plus a further £5m in potential add-ons. His exit removed one of Everton’s most productive attackers from the previous campaign.
Dwight McNeil also departed, moving to Crystal Palace as part of the swap arrangement that brought Brennan Johnson to Everton.
A separate deal that never materialised was the proposed £40m signing of Folarin Balogun from Monaco. That move collapsed after an issue arose during his medical, and subsequent attempts to renegotiate the terms failed to resolve the situation.
Everton summer transfers 2026: The complete window breakdown
Everton’s 2026 summer transfers amount to seven senior arrivals and two major sales, closing a window that reshaped David Moyes’ attack while leaving specific areas of the squad thin. The table below summarises every completed deal.
| Player | Movement | Club | Fee / Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Grealish | In | Manchester City | Season-long loan |
| Brennan Johnson | In | Crystal Palace | Player swap (McNeil) |
| Hayden Hackney | In | Middlesbrough | Permanent transfer |
| Merlin Röhl | In | Freiburg | Reported £19m |
| Tyrique George | In | Chelsea | Reported £20m+ |
| Christian Nørgaard | In | Arsenal | Reported £7m |
| Ainsley Maitland-Niles | In | Lyon | Reported £4m |
| Iliman Ndiaye | Out | Manchester City | £60m plus £5m add-ons |
| Dwight McNeil | Out | Crystal Palace | Player swap (Johnson) |
Set against that activity, the Balogun move stands out as the deal that got away, collapsing at the medical stage for £40m before terms could be renegotiated.
What happens next for David Moyes’ squad
With the window shut, Moyes must work with the group he has rather than expect further additions before January. The most pressing issue is depth in two specific positions.
Thierno Barry is now Everton’s only recognised senior centre-forward following Balogun’s collapsed move and Ndiaye’s departure. Vitalii Mykolenko is similarly the club’s sole senior left-back after the summer’s business.
That leaves Moyes with limited room for manoeuvre if either player picks up an injury or suspension over a congested autumn schedule. Squad rotation, of the kind seen in our earlier report on cup fixtures, will need careful management given how few alternatives exist in those two positions.
For now, Everton’s transfer business for 2026 is complete. Attention turns fully to results, with the composition of this squad set to be tested across the coming months.
