Analyzing Everton’s Signings So Far

Most transfer windows can feel like the world’s longest sprint. Sporting Directors, Managers, coaches and other members of recruitment teams are tasked with:

Some combination of those seven items come into play every time a team-for-team transaction happens with a player, and in order to get it done, you have to hope you can beat out other teams to make it happen. It can feel like an eternity to the fans, but quick work can lead to the difference between a top-end wing and, say, Jesper Lindstrom.

Everton have seen this go the other way on multiple occasions over the years, but this year’s window is a bit different. This time around, their window feels like the world’s quickest marathon.

That’s bound to happen for a team David Moyes has said, very publicly and very recently, that “9 or 10 players” are still needed to build a competitive squad. It’s a tall order for any manager, and when that many pieces are required, it almost requires even the fastest movers to slow down and pace themselves.

With the window closing in the next month, and the opener at Elland Road a mere two-and-a-half weeks away, the marathon is barely at the halfway stage, but it doesn’t feel that way.

Still, we can counter that with the fact that a few signings have, in fact, happened. Let’s take a peek at who has been picked up so far, and what we might be able to expect when we see them in (non-preseason) action.

Position: CAM
Former Club: Flamengo
Reported Transfer Fee: £12 million
Expected Role: Who the heck knows

Alcaraz won fans over fairly quickly in his 2025 loan spell with the club. He showed a willingness and a desire to get the ball forward, a good touch on the ball and a desire to find the back of the net. His touch on this pass to Beto – this being his first start in the No. 10 role – stands out to me.

It’s clear that Alcaraz belongs at the Premier League level, it’s now a matter of how far he can go with his talent, and where Moyes sees him positionally. Like his predecessor Sean Dyche, Moyes was loyal to Abdoulaye Doucoure in the #10 role as often as he was healthy, which led Alcaraz to playing on the wing more often than not.

Does Moyes see a future for Alcaraz in his “natural” position, or is the hope that, like Iliman Ndiaye, he can transition into a strong winger with the ability to float centrally when the situation calls for it? We’ll see.

Position: ST
Former Club: Villarreal
Reported Transfer Fee: £29.8 million
Expected Role: Fight for the starting striker position

In some way, Barry and next signing Mark Travers are opposites. Travers is fairly uninspiring to the fans, but is relatively Premier League proven while Barry has fun highlights, is just 22 years old, a giant frame, and oozes potential.

But, he only has one year of La Liga experience, and zero in the Premier League. And we’ve seen what can happen when a young striker isn’t ready for the Premier League’s size and speed-specific demands.

While every Everton fan wants to see Barry come in and immediately seize control of that central forward position, it’s fair to assume he’ll need a little time to adjust. Thankfully, Beto had a fantastic run of games after Moyes took over last January, and the hope will be that he can provide some cover until Barry finds his footing in a new league.

Will Beto be able to uphold the form he showed last winter? If not, the calls for Everton’s most exciting signing of the year might start to get louder. And we know what it’s like when Everton fans get loud.

Position: GK
Former Club: Bournemouth
Reported Transfer Fee: £4 million
Expected Role: Backup

Everton fans might know Mark Travers better than they think, specifically from one of the best combinations of great and terrible you can imagine. Remember this great goal in this terrible game?

One of the biggest goals in Everton’s recent history, and guess who the keeper was?

Travers may not be the most exciting signing, but he was a necessary and decent one. With both Joao Virigina and Asmir Begovic leaving in free agency, a starting caliber keeper was absolutely necessary.

He has 70 appearances with Bournemouth under his belt – ironically, he became the Cherries’ first-choice keeper in 2021 after the departure of, you guessed it, Asmir Begovic. He has Premier League experience and, while he’s obviously not in the same tier as Jordan Pickford, he is decent and proven cover in the event of any injury.

Wednesday night’s faux pas aside, let’s hope we don’t need his services in any meaningful games, but it is nice knowing he’s there. He is the definition of depth.

Position: LB
Former Club: Bayern Munich
Reported Transfer Fee: £7.5 million
Expected Role: Young Backup

Unlike Alcaraz and Barry, zero rumors seemed to predict this one from happening. A Barcelona academy product (and childhood friend of Lamine Yamal) and Bayern prospect, Everton got a piece with potential and ability on the ball.

But, like Barry (and even more so, in this case), Aznou will need time to grow. He has some work to do defensively, but as The Secret Scout on Twitter pointed out, he had a strong season defending for La Liga’s bottom side Real Valladolid a year ago.

This says, more or less, that he defended extremely well compared to his peers, but also showed a strong ability to advance the ball when given the opportunity. Whether it’s due to a lack of depth, or a sign for the future, Moyes has gone with a five-at-the-back model the last two preseason games.

Does this mean Vitaliy Mykolenko’s left back position will soon be a more consistently advanced wingback spot? Either way, the position is likely comfortably Mykolenko’s for the year, but if Aznou can showcase some ability early on, the seat could get hot quickly.

After years of an almost-guaranteed starting spot at left back, Mykolenko will have to watch his back going forward.

Editor’s Note: Please welcome Tim, the newest addition to the Royal Blue Mersey team. We’re thrilled to have a writer of his pedigree in our group. Here’s his bio -

Tim is a longtime writer and editor. He’s covered the NBA and Timberwolves at The Athletic, Vice and Sporting News, and has covered soccer/football, Everton and Minnesota United at Fansided and A View From the Bullens.
A longtime Timberwolves and Everton supporter, you know he’s in it for the love of the game and not, you know, winning.