Everton’s transfer window has left David Moyes concerned about the size of his squad after Iliman Ndiaye’s £65 million departure and the collapse of a deadline-day move for Folarin Balogun. Could a lack of depth derail the Toffees’ season?
Category: Premier League | Transfer News
Published: September 5, 2026
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
September 5, 2026 | Everton Transfer News
The Everton transfer window has closed, but David Moyes does not sound satisfied.
Rather than emerging from deadline day confident that his squad is ready for the demands of another Premier League season, the Everton manager has publicly acknowledged one of the biggest problems facing his team: numbers.
Moyes described Everton as having a “real small squad” after a frustrating end to the summer market, with the club losing an important attacker and failing to complete a potentially significant replacement.
That leaves Everton facing an uncomfortable question.
Have they left Moyes with enough players to compete over an entire Premier League campaign?
Why David Moyes Is Concerned
Moyes’ concern is not simply about missing one transfer target.
It is about depth.
Everton needed additional numbers before the window closed, but their final days in the market did not produce the reinforcements the manager wanted.
Moyes admitted after the deadline that Everton had been trying to add players and acknowledged his disappointment with the outcome. He also suggested younger players could receive opportunities, although he stopped short of saying the academy was definitely ready to solve the problem.
That matters because squad depth becomes increasingly important as injuries, suspensions and fixture congestion accumulate.
A strong starting XI can win matches.
A strong squad is usually required to sustain a season.
Losing Iliman Ndiaye Was a Major Blow
The biggest late-window setback was the departure of Iliman Ndiaye.
Manchester City signed the Senegal international from Everton on deadline day for a reported £65 million, with Ndiaye agreeing a five-year contract.
From a financial perspective, Everton received a substantial fee.
From Moyes’ perspective, however, the timing created another problem.
Ndiaye’s versatility allowed him to operate across the attacking line, and replacing that flexibility at the end of a transfer window was never going to be straightforward.
The wider Premier League market was also unusually expensive. As we examined in our analysis of Premier League transfer spending in 2026, clubs collectively spent approximately £3.46 billion during the summer window.
Having money available does not guarantee that the right replacement will be available — particularly on deadline day.
Everton discovered that the difficult way.
The Folarin Balogun Deal That Fell Apart
Everton appeared to have identified Folarin Balogun as a major attacking reinforcement.
The United States international was playing for Monaco and had attracted considerable interest after scoring 31 goals across his previous three seasons with the French club.
The proposed transfer progressed far enough for Balogun to travel to Liverpool for a medical.
Then the deal unravelled.
Reuters reported that Everton identified an issue during the medical and attempted to renegotiate the terms of the transfer. Despite efforts to extend the deadline and complete negotiations, Balogun ultimately withdrew from the proposed move.
For Everton, the consequences were significant.
They had lost Ndiaye.
They had identified a high-profile attacking target.
And then the window closed without Balogun arriving.
Everton Did Make Changes — But Is the Squad Balanced?
It would be unfair to suggest Everton did nothing during the summer.
One notable arrival was Brennan Johnson, who joined in an unusual swap agreement that saw Dwight McNeil move to Crystal Palace. Johnson signed a four-year Everton contract and added pace and Premier League experience to Moyes’ attacking options.
But Moyes’ comments indicate that his concern is not necessarily about the quality of individual players.
It is the overall size of the group.
That distinction is important.
Everton may have enough quality to produce strong performances when their preferred players are available. The danger comes when injuries or suspensions force Moyes deeper into his squad.
That is when a thin group can quickly become exposed.
The Academy Could Get Its Opportunity
There could be one positive consequence.
Everton’s younger players may now find a clearer pathway into the first team.
Moyes acknowledged that the circumstances could create opportunities for academy players, although his comments also reflected uncertainty over whether enough youngsters are currently ready for sustained Premier League football.
Giving young players opportunities can benefit a club enormously.
But there is a difference between promoting a talented youngster because he has earned his chance and relying on academy players because recruitment targets were missed.
Everton will hope they are doing the former rather than being forced into the latter.
Manchester United Will Test Everton Immediately
There is little time for Moyes to dwell on the transfer window.
Everton face Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, September 6, giving Moyes an immediate opportunity to demonstrate that his squad can compete despite his concerns. Everton’s official fixture list has the match scheduled for 1 p.m. local time.
That match should provide an interesting early indication.
If Everton perform strongly, some of the anxiety surrounding the transfer window will quickly fade.
But over a 38-game league campaign, Moyes’ concern will not be determined by one result.
It will be determined by how his squad copes when the inevitable injuries, suspensions and loss of form arrive.
Did Everton Leave Too Much Until Deadline Day?
That may ultimately become the biggest criticism of Everton’s summer.
Transfer windows rarely go exactly according to plan, and every club misses targets.
But entering the final hours of the window still needing important additions increases the risk considerably.
Balogun’s failed transfer illustrates why.
Once that deal collapsed, Everton had almost no time to find an alternative of comparable quality.
The result is a squad that its own manager believes is smaller than it should be.
For a club hoping to progress rather than simply survive, that is far from ideal.
Final Whistle
Everton’s transfer window cannot be judged entirely on deadline-day disappointment.
Johnson could become an important player, and the club received a significant fee for Ndiaye.
But Moyes’ comments should not be ignored.
Managers rarely complain publicly about squad numbers without reason, and Everton have now entered the season knowing that a few injuries could quickly test the depth of their team.
The January transfer window may already be taking on additional importance.
Beyond the Final Whistle, Everton’s biggest transfer mistake may not be the players they sold or the targets they missed — it may be leaving David Moyes without enough options when the season becomes difficult.
What do you think? Did Everton do enough in the summer transfer window, or has Moyes been left with a squad that is simply too small? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
