Everton are on the hunt for reinforcements for their forward line as David Moyes looks to build on the momentum he built when re-joining the team last year.
The Toffees had been pushing to sign Southampton’s young star boy, Tyler Dibling, but negotiations between the two sides seem to have collapsed. Dibling was one of the only bright sparks at Southampton last season as they were relegated, having only accrued 12 points.
When the transfer window opened, clubs like Manchester United were interested in Dibbling, and so the Saints wanted an astronomical £100 million for the winger, but their price demand has dropped since then. Everton had reportedly put in a number of bids for the youngster, with the first starting at £27 million and their final bid being £35 million plus a further £8 million in potential add-ons.
Southampton sent a counter offer of £45 million plus £5 million in add-ons and a 25% sell-on clause. This was evidently more than Everton are willing to spend, and so they have now set their sights elsewhere.
Everton turn their attention to Grealish as loan talks begin
Following their impasse with Southampton over Dibling, Everton have turned their attention to Jack Grealish. It’s become clear that a move away from the Etihad may be on the cards for Grealish following decreasing game time at Manchester City last season, and David Ornstein reports the clubs are now in talks over a “complicated” loan deal.
The England international joined Manchester City from Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021, but he never lived up to the expectations that came with his Villa success or his price tag.
As recently as last season, he was being touted as a “generational talent” by City legends like Shay Given, while his creative flair and ball control has led to comparisons with superstars like Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal.
The main issue in terms of finances is Grealish’s wages; Everton’s current highest-paid player is Jordan Pickford, who, on £125,000-a-week, makes less than half of Grealish’s wages of £300,000-a-week.
Grealish vs Dibling
Everton walking away from the Dibling deal may make Southampton consider lowering their asking price, in which case Moyes may have the ability to pick which player he’d rather sign, Dibling or Grealish.
In terms of goal involvements, both players had very similar seasons, but nothing close to the level of output Everton fans might expect from two players who’d both previously been valued at £100 million.
|
2024/25 Stats |
Grealish |
Dibling |
|---|---|---|
|
Games (All Competitions) |
32 |
38 |
|
Goals |
3 |
4 |
|
Assists |
5 |
2 |
|
Total Goal Involvements |
8 |
6 |
Although Grealish leads Dibling for goal involvements, he arguably had the easier of the two jobs as he was featuring for a City side that had just won four back-to-back Premier League titles where whereas Dibling was playing for the second-worst team in Premier League history.
The biggest difference between the two is their career trajectories. Dibling is a youngster who shows a lot of promise but is as yet unproven, whereas Grealish has proven that he can do it at the highest level, but it is whether or not he can return to that level of form.
