Everton struggling to recruit good players, says Moyes

Everton manager David Moyes has revealed the club have been turned down by multiple transfer targets in recent weeks.

The Toffees finished 13th in the Premier League last season after turning their form around in the second half of their campaign, coinciding with Moyes’ reappointment.

They ended the season on a high with three straight victories, impressively defeating Newcastle at St. James Park on the final matchday.

However, Everton have not mirrored those performances in the transfer market as they prepare for their first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

They have made just three signings in the transfer window so far, adding Thierno Barry and Mark Travers to the squad while turning Carlos Alcaraz’s loan move from Flamengo into a permanent deal.

Moyes admitted he hoped the club would have made more signings by now but conceded it had been difficult to compete with clubs who qualified for European football.

Nine Premier League clubs booked their spots in Europe for the 2025-26 season, after Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur won the FA Cup and Europa League trophies while finishing outside the top seven.

“We’re a long way away just now. I would have hoped it would have been much further down the line than we are,” Moyes told The Athletic.

“I would hope by the time we get to the end of the window, we’d be closer to 10 [new players]. So you can imagine the amount of work we’ve got to do.

“The club are trying really hard to get the players I want and I’ve found it really difficult, because in my last few years, I’ve been involved in European competition. It’s a bit easier when you’re a club in Europe. You get a better chance of attracting a lot of players.

“We’ve been in for a lot of really good players. Unfortunately, a lot them have said no at the moment.

“If we’re going for players, we’re not going for bad players. Our attraction is maybe to some younger ones who are up and coming, or also those from lower leagues. In those cases, it is not a problem.

“But if you’re trying to take players who have had European experience or play at the top end, they’re the ones we will find it harder to attract.

“We need them to want to come. They have to come and buy in a wee bit to what Everton have got, the culture here. There’s a strong, hard-working ethic and we want to build on it and bring in more quality.”