Everton's Transfer Strategy: Focus on Franculino and Key Positions
The 2-0 win over Crystal Palace has not lulled Everton into thinking this squad is complete. If anything, it has sharpened the focus. The early impact of the summer arrivals has been noted, but behind the scenes Goodison Park is braced for a frantic finish to the window as David Moyes pushes to remodel the spine and edges of his team.
According to TeamTalk, Everton are preparing a late surge for four positions: striker, right-back, left-back and centre-back. The wording is clear enough – “late moves for a striker, right-back, left-back and centre-back are all on the cards for David Moyes’ side” – and it underlines both the ambition and the urgency driving this final phase of business.
Franculino at the heart of Everton’s attacking rethink
The headline name is Franculino. Everton have not stumbled across the Midtjylland forward in a last-minute panic; they have tracked him, studied him and now, crucially, reopened dialogue.
TeamTalk report that the club have “held fresh talks with the agents of Midtjylland striker Franculino, whom they have scouted extensively.” That matters. It speaks of groundwork, of a target they know well, not a scattergun punt.
His numbers are hard to ignore. Franculino has “notched an impressive 58 goals in 115 games for Midtjylland” and is now “fully fit again and is open to a move to the Premier League” after an injury halted a potential switch earlier in the year. The suggestion is that “€25million (£21.4m / $29.2m) could be enough to sign him this summer,” though Newcastle are also in the frame.
The striker chase is tangled up with Beto’s future. Everton are “anticipating offers for Beto ahead of the deadline,” but the stance is firm: they “would not allow him to leave without first lining up a replacement.” That replacement could be Franculino. Burnley’s Zian Flemming has been looked at as well, while the possibility of a romantic reunion with Richarlison has re-emerged, with the report stating: “The Brazilian would jump at the chance to re-join his former club, with Tottenham considering a sale.”
If Beto goes, Everton want someone who feels like an upgrade in trajectory, not just a body. Franculino’s age, output and price bracket tick that box.
Right-back hunt drags on as alternatives loom
Inside the club, right-back has been circled in red for months. That priority has not shifted. TeamTalk are blunt: “one of Everton's top priorities is to sign a new right-back, and the situation remains the same.”
Strasbourg’s Guela Doue has long been the preferred option. Everton “have made multiple approaches for the Ivorian international,” but the player is “holding out for a move to a Champions League club.” That changes the dynamic. With Paris Saint-Germain now linked, the Merseyside club risk being left on standby.
They cannot wait forever. Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz is the main alternative and “remains under serious consideration.” Palace are said to be open to offers, with a valuation around £25million. It is not a bargain-bin fee, but it is the going rate for a ready-made Premier League full-back, and Everton know the cost of leaving that side of the defence undercooked.
If Doue continues to look elsewhere, the decision becomes simple: act, or accept another season of compromise in a key position.
Left-back cover and centre-back contingency
On the opposite flank, the objective is more straightforward. Everton want competition for Vitaliy Mykolenko and greater balance across a long, attritional season. Nice defender Melvin Bard is among those under assessment as the club weigh up options at left-back.
At centre-back, everything hinges on outgoings. TeamTalk report that Everton “look set to make a late move for a new centre-back, due to the fact that Jake O'Brien could leave before the deadline.” The line is familiar by now: “they would not let him go without signing a replacement.” Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Sunderland are all mentioned as possible destinations for O’Brien.
This is not a scattershot scramble. It is a chain reaction. If O’Brien goes, someone else must come in. If Beto moves, a new forward follows. Every exit has a planned counter-move.
A window with a plan
What stands out in Everton’s approach is the absence of chaos. This is not a club lurching from one problem to the next in the final week. The reported pursuit of a striker, two full-backs and a centre-back fits a clear football logic and a clear Moyes blueprint: more reliability, more athleticism, more competition.
Franculino is the most intriguing piece. “58 goals in 115 games” is the sort of record that usually prices a player out of Everton’s reach. If the £21.4m figure is accurate, it feels like the kind of opportunity they cannot afford to ignore.
The right-back issue, though, is the one that cannot be allowed to drift. If Guela Doue is waiting for the Champions League, Everton must decide how long they are prepared to wait with him. Daniel Munoz offers a more immediate, proven solution, even at £25million.
Everton have started the season well. The mood around the club has lightened. Now comes the real test: can they turn that platform into something more substantial by backing Moyes in the final days of the window and delivering the reinforcements he so clearly wants?
