David Moyes’s rebuilding job at Everton this summer is a slow-burner for sure. A slow-starter too.
I’d love to say it’s taking shape, and it probably is behind the scenes, but for now, all we have to report is rumours. More rumours.
The latest may have legs. Both are players who have been linked before. Two Arsenal players, both said to still be on the club’s radar.
The reported targets: White and Jesus
The first is Ben White. Moyes is said to rate the 28-year-old as a strong fit for his system, with White’s ability to operate at right-back, in a back three, or as an emergency centre-half cited as the big appeal.
A fee of around £30m has been mentioned – decent business for a player of White’s quality, and a sign of how well stocked Arsenal are in that area rather than a slight on his ability.
The second strand is also familiar. Everton have admired Gabriel Jesus for some time, and that interest has reportedly been sharpened by Arsenal cutting their asking price for the Brazilian to between £20m and £25m this summer, down considerably from the £45m they paid Man City in 2022.
A limited number of starts at the Emirates and more competition appear to be behind the ‘discount.’
Why both deals make sense for Moyes
Neither move is straightforward, but both fit a pattern that has defined Moyes’s recruitment since returning to Everton: value over exotic foreign names, and flexibility.
Ben White’s positional range
White’s appeal lies less in any single attribute than in his wide range. He has played right-back, central defence and even midfield for Arsenal at various points, and that adaptability would give Moyes a defender capable of covering in multiple areas.
Everton’s right-back position has looked unsettled for some time, too long in fact, something we covered in our recent look at why two new full-backs are central to Moyes’s 2026/27 plans, and White would address that.
Gabriel Jesus and the wage problem
Jesus presents a different problem. His underlying numbers remain solid when he’s fit and playing regularly, and at a reduced fee, he would represent reasonable value as an experienced focal point up front.
The complication is his contract: Jesus currently earns £265,000 a week, according to his FBref profile, a figure well beyond anything Everton have committed to in recent windows. Any deal would likely require him to take a significant pay cut, and that’s before factoring in whether Arsenal are committed to sell.
The verdict: plausible not straightforward
Both stories point to a recruitment plan with a shape: a versatile defender and a forward available below market value, both proven in the Premier League. A sensible approach on paper, with both theoretically ready to hit the ground running.
Whether either deal actually happens is another question. Arsenal parting with a defender as well-regarded as White, even at a reduced fee, isn’t guaranteed, and persuading Jesus to accept a lower wage to drop down the table is its own challenge.
Everton supporters wanting the wider context on the club’s defensive rebuild can find more in our transfer news pages.
For now, both names are worth tracking rather than relying on. ReadEverton will have more as either story develops.
