Everton’s January Transfer Window Preview

2025 has come to an end and the Premier League season is at the halfway mark with four matches to be played tomorrow. The back half of the 2025-26 campaign will start on January 3rd and Everton should be firmly in a mid-table position when that starts, perfectly positioned to making a European charge.

Let’s take a look at when the window opens and closes, what positions Everton need to fill, and who are the players the Blues have been linked with so far.

Key Dates

Thursday January 1st – Transfer window opens: Premier League (England), Bundesliga (Germany), Ligue 1 (France).

Friday January 2nd – Transfer window opens: Serie A (Italy), La Liga (Spain).

Sunday January 4th – Everton vs Brentford [Premier League]

Wednesday January 7th – Everton vs Wolves [Premier League]

Saturday January 10th – Everton vs Sunderland [FA Cup]

Sunday January 18th – Everton at Aston Villa [Premier League]

Monday January 26th – Everton vs Leeds United [Premier League]

Saturday January 31st – Everton at Brighton & Hove Albion [Premier League]

Monday February 2nd (7 PM GMT) – Transfer window closes: Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga.

Everton’s Needs

Everton would need to beef up the squad in all positions, but January is not the time for it. The winter transfer window is an opportunity to solve some key areas of need but also work out how to score more goals. Everton are 14th in the league in expected goals with 21.85, from which they have scored 20 goals which is 16th best in the league. The Toffees are also 18th in the league in shots on target, so there’s definitely room for improvement there.

Fullback(s) – Vitaliy Mykolenko’s limitations going forward mean the Blues cannot provide much attacking impetus for Jack Grealish. On the opposite flank, Jake O’Brien is being used out of position and as such cannot be faulted for his crossing ability. The Blues might be able to get some minutes out of Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson, but neither is a medium- or long-term solution. Not having fullbacks to provide overlapping support consistently is hampering striker performance as well.

Central midfielder – This one is a short-term need. The Blues have a lot of midfielders in their squad – James Garner, Idrissa Gueye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tim Iroegbunam, Merlin Rohl, Carlos Alcaraz, and even Dwight McNeil. However, a combination of AFCON and injuries mean the Blues 4-2-3-1 formation that requires at least three midfielders is being constantly tested. The latest is that Harrison Armstrong will be recalled from his loan at Preston North End, but could also go back before the window shuts.

Striker – There is a school of thought that the Blues don’t actually need a new striker and what they need is better service. There is a lot of merit to that given how poor and inconsistent ball delivery has been into the box. That doesn’t fully explain away the fact though that the centre forwards have managed just three goals from an xG of 7.6

Players Linked

Here’s a list of some players that the Toffees have been linked with in recent weeks.

Defenders

Juanlu Sanchez (Sevilla) – The versatile fullback was linked to Everton last summer and his name continues to come up even though rumour has it that he’s waiting for Napoli to make an offer.

Vitinho (Botafogo) – The former Brugge and Burnley right back has recently been called up to Brazil duty by Carlo Ancelotti.

Zakaria El Ouahdi (Genk) – The Morocco international right back has been linked with the Blues, though let’s hope he doesn’t ask his countryman Adam Aznou about David Moyes.

Midfielders

Kobie Mainoo (Manchester United) – The midfielder has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford with Everton a possible loan destination.

Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City) – The forgotten midfielder is attempting to resuscitate his career with the World Cup coming up, having played just seven minutes in the League Cup this season.

Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) – The deep-lying playmaker is essential to Boro’s promotion chances and it’s very unlikely they let him leave unless there’s a monster offer tabled.

Toni Fruk (Rijeka) – The 24-year-old Croatian international is an attacking midfielder and thought highly of in some circles.

Tyler Morton (Lyon) – The Liverpool youth product is currently plying his trade in Ligue 1 as a defensive midfielder but remains open to returning to England.

Forwards

Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United) – The striker keeps being mentioned as a possible Blues’ target even before joining United. His performances for the Red Devils don’t necessarily fill anyone with confidence that he will be an upgrade on Beto.

Artem Dovbyk (AS Roma) – Everton’s sister club are said to be interested in a striker swap, taking Beto and sending back the Ukraine international.

Evan Ferguson (AS Roma) – The former Brighton striker was considered to be one of the best young strikers not so long ago but has seen his career stall a little in Italy.

Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) – The striker is running down his current contract and is expected to leave as a free agent in the summer, at which point there will be some eyewatering contracts likely thrown his way.

Jorgen Strand Larsen (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – With Wolves looking at relegation, they have set a £40m pricetag on the striker.

Franculino Djú (FC Midtjylland) –  Everton have spent a lot of time watching the young striker, but he recently sustained a knee injury that will keep him out until March at least.

Richarlison (Tottenham) – This one is a bit of a pipe dream. Richy doesn’t appear to be in Spurs’ long-term plans, and has had some durability issues. He gets Everton as well as a player can understand the club and its culture, and would be welcomed back with open arms.

Verdict

The expectation is that Everton will have some money to spend this winter, likely to bring in a couple of players, but it would be quite unlikely to expect the Blues to make a big splash in the transfer market. Some combination of loans and outright purchases like they have often done would be expected.

Everton currently have two senior players on loan from other clubs: Jack Grealish and Merlin Röhl. That means they can still use one domestic loan slot on a player from any club except Manchester City to make the maximum of two domestic loans. There is no cap on how many international loan players they can get.