Updated: July 9
What’s changed since July 1?
John Stones has moved the wrong way. Talks were previously advanced, but Fabrizio Romano has reported Stones has been offered to Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan, with all three said to have reservations over his wage demands and injury record — the same hesitation now facing Everton. His return to Merseyside looks considerably less straightforward than it did a week ago.
Right-back has moved fastest in the other direction. Djed Spence has emerged as the clearest target, with Everton reported to be ready to pay £25m and Spurs said to be open to a sale as competition increases under De Zerbi — full story here. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s price has also moved, doubling since our earlier report, which looks to have cooled his position relative to Spence. Ben White is a newer name, with TEAMtalk describing his situation as “becoming a real option” amid uncertainty over his Arsenal future.
Up front, Everton have submitted a formal offer for Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane — their most concrete move for a forward all summer. Keito Nakamura (Reims) is a fresh, lower-probability name, with contact made via his entourage, though any move is said to depend on attacking departures first.
In midfield, Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille) continues to be talked about as the profile Everton want if Idrissa Gueye’s Everton career is over, alongside the ongoing Mandela Keita talks with Parma.
Grealish is also moving the wrong way. New City boss Enzo Maresca reportedly wants to personally assess him in pre-season before sanctioning any exit — a step back from the “confident” framing a few days ago, even if Grealish’s own preference for Everton hasn’t changed.
The full list
| Player | Position | Current Club | Nature of Everton’s interest | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kai Hutchinson | Winger | Dundee United | 16-year-old has reportedly accepted a proposal to join | Very High |
| John Stones | Centre-back | Manchester City (free agent) | Talks previously advanced, but Juventus and Inter Milan have both registered interest, per Romano and Daily Mail — Stones’ wage demands are said to be giving all suitors pause, Everton included | Medium |
| Christian Kofane | Striker | Bayer Leverkusen | Formal offer submitted, per reports — Everton’s most concrete forward move this summer | High |
| Djed Spence | Right-back | Tottenham Hotspur | Everton reportedly ready to pay £25m; Spurs said to be open to a sale as competition increases under De Zerbi | Medium-High |
| Edon Zhegrova | Winger | Juventus | Talks ongoing; Everton said to have been in the race longest | Medium-High |
| Georgios Vagiannidis | Right-back | Sporting CP | Viewed internally as the most attainable defensive option | Medium-High |
| Ngal’ayel Mukau | Midfielder | Lille | Seen as ideal long-term cover as Gana Gueye winds down | Medium-High |
| Sander Berge | Midfielder | Burnley | Stock risen after strong World Cup form for Norway | Medium-High |
| Liam Delap | Striker | Chelsea | Valuation reported to have dropped from around £40m toward £30m | Medium-High |
| Jack Grealish | Winger | Manchester City | New City boss Enzo Maresca reportedly wants to assess him personally in pre-season before sanctioning an exit; decision no longer imminent | Medium |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Right-back | West Ham United | Previously the most advanced right-back target; asking price has since doubled, cooling momentum | Medium |
| Ben White | Defender | Arsenal | TEAMtalk reports his situation “becoming a real option” amid unresolved Arsenal future | Medium |
| Mandela Keita | Midfielder | Parma | Everton have opened contact | Medium |
| Assane Diao | Winger | Como | Reported €45m offer made, but Como’s valuation a sticking point | Medium |
| Marc Casado | Midfielder | Barcelona | Moyes wants more defensive control in midfield | Medium |
| Lois Openda | Striker | RB Leipzig | Competing with Juventus for a forward Leipzig may sell | Medium |
| Lucas Herrington | Defender | Colorado Rapids | Specific, fresh link with no progress reported yet | Medium |
| Pape Gueye | Midfielder | Villarreal | Player has expressed a desire to join; Everton one of the interested clubs | Medium |
| Nathan De Cat | Midfielder | Anderlecht | 17-year-old Belgian, Everton among several English clubs interested | Medium |
| Morten Hjulmand | Midfielder | Sporting CP | Everton interested; Sporting aware of the interest | Medium |
| Jarrod Bowen | Winger | West Ham United | Moyes interested but fee/wages seen as obstacles; could cost £40m+ | Medium |
| Raoul Bellanova | Right-back | Atalanta | Everton among clubs with strong interest, per TuttoSport | Medium-Low |
| Karl Etta Eyong | Striker | Levante | Enquiry made, but Ipswich have the head start in talks | Medium-Low |
| Shea Charles | Midfielder | Southampton | Everton monitoring, per The Athletic | Medium-Low |
| Crysencio Summerville | Winger | West Ham United | One name floated as cover if Grealish doesn’t stay | Medium-Low |
| Ainsley Maitland-Niles | Defender | Free agent | Considered as a defensive option | Low-Medium |
| Guéla Doué | Right-back | Strasbourg | Remains under consideration; no fresh movement reported this week | Low-Medium |
| Keito Nakamura | Winger | Reims | Contact made with entourage per TEAMtalk, but reportedly contingent on attacking departures first | Low-Medium |
| Gabriel Jesus | Striker | Arsenal | Price reportedly cut to £20-25m, but wages likely prohibitive | Low |
| Nathan Aké | Defender | Manchester City | Quality obvious, price and wages probably not realistic | Low |
| Harry Wilson | Midfielder | Fulham | Free agent this summer; one report has him choosing Leeds instead | Low |
| Tomas Soucek | Midfielder | West Ham United | Named once, no clear pathway to a deal since | Low |
| Neco Williams | Right-back | Nottingham Forest | Named once in a list of full-back possibilities | Low |
| El Hadji Malick Diouf | Left-back | West Ham United | Named once, nothing concrete to suggest progress | Low |
| Jayden Oosterwolde | Defender | Fenerbahce | One mention among several defensive names in May | Low |
| Diego Leite | Centre-back | Union Berlin | One mention, unlikely to develop further | Low |
| Radu Dragusin | Centre-back | Tottenham Hotspur | Speculative link given limited Spurs game time | Low |
| Federico Gatti | Centre-back | Juventus | Named once among several centre-back options | Low |
| Gabriel Sara | Midfielder | Galatasaray | One mention, no signs of a concrete approach | Low |
| Issa Doumbia | Midfielder | Venezia | Speculative midfield name with little since | Low |
| Ivan Toney | Striker | Al-Ahli | Mentioned once; a Saudi return looks unlikely | Low |
| Artem Dovbyk | Striker | Roma | One mention among a long list of forward options | Low |
| Taty Castellanos | Striker | West Ham United | Named once, no real momentum since | Low |
| Alexander Sorloth | Striker | Atletico Madrid | One mention; profile and wages make this a stretch | Low |
| Santiago Castro | Striker | Bologna | Speculative forward link with no clear progress | Low |
| Jamie Leweling | Winger | Stuttgart | One mention among several wide-attacking names | Low |
| Dario Osorio | Winger | FC Midtjylland | Speculative, low-profile link with little traction | Low |
| Zuriko Davitashvili | Winger | Saint-Etienne | One mention, nothing concrete reported since | Low |
| Abdul Fatawu | Winger | Leicester City | Speculative name from the early-window round-up | Low |
| Ethan Nwaneri | Attacking midfielder | Arsenal | Arsenal have no apparent intention to sell or loan | Very Low |
| Myles Lewis-Skelly | Midfielder/left-back | Arsenal | Same situation — considered untouchable at the Emirates | Very Low |
Players rumoured to be leaving Everton
| Player | Position | Interested club(s) | Situation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thierno Barry | Striker | RB Leipzig | Leipzig would need to match Everton’s recoupment demands |
| Dwight McNeil | Winger | West Ham United | Interest confirmed, complicated by his reluctance to drop into the Championship |
| James Garner | Midfielder | Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest | Reignited off the back of his first England cap |
| Demi Akarakiri | Forward | Cagliari | Looks set for a permanent academy exit |
| Tim Iroegbunam | Midfielder | Hull City, Ipswich | Hull City are targeting Iroegbunam as they look to strengthen their midfield; Everton News Ipswich also linked |
| Harrison Armstrong | Midfielder | Middlesbrough | Boro are one of the Championship sides monitoring a possible loan move yahoo |
The big takeaway
Hackney’s basically over the line, and George looks close behind him — two names who moved from “talk” to “imminent” in under a week.
Stones is still the most likely of the headline trio, but Inter’s arrival means it’s no longer a free swing. Grealish is genuinely the one to watch: two credible camps are telling two different stories, and Wednesday’s medical/loan-expiry deadline should force clarity fast.
Frustrating though, right?
