After a campaign in which they inaugurated the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton has much to rethink if they want a successful 2026-27 season.
After finishing 13th in the Premier League and being eliminated in the third round of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, the Toffees will not participate in UEFA competitions, so their main objective will be to make an impact domestically.
Although they dreamed of the UEFA Champions League at some point during the past campaign, a bad run ended that possibility, and the remnants of it carried through to the end.
Below, we will analyze David Moyes’ side, the most notable offseason moves, the probable key performers for the upcoming campaign, and more.
Major off-season moves
As for changes on the bench, there were no moves, and David Moyes remains in charge. He took over the team in January 2025, midway through the 2024-25 season, when Sean Dyche was fired.
The 2026-27 season is the final year of Moyes’ contract, so the clear objective is to make as much of an impact as possible and return to European competitions.
As for signings, Everton’s most expensive signing so far this summer is 25-year-old right winger Brennan Johnson, from Crystal Palace, for $30 million.
The Toffees also signed 23-year-old German attacking midfielder Merlin Röhl from Freiburg for $29 million. Tyrique George, Chelsea’s left winger, was also permanently transferred to Everton for a reported $24.5 million.
The Toffees also strengthened the defensive side of their midfield by signing 24-year-old Englishman Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough for $22.5 million. They also signed veteran midfielder Christian Nørgaard, 32, from Arsenal for $9.5 million.
That said, the club also suffered some important departures, including veteran midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, 36, who left as a free agent for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
Dwight McNeil, a 26-year-old left winger, left the club for Crystal Palace for $30 million, in a move that was essentially seen as a straight swap for Johnson.
Key performers for 2026/27
One young player we’d put our money on to watch next season is Harrison Armstrong, a 19-year-old attacking midfielder.
Armstrong has performed well in the preseason. He particularly stood out in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United on Aug. 12, a match in which he provided two assists. He also saw minutes in the 1-1 draw against Lille on Aug. 15, as well as in the 3-1 loss against Stuttgart on Aug. 8.
The player already has 16 appearances over the last two seasons and has enough potential to be a breakout player next campaign.
Coach Moyes himself described him in a very pragmatic way, saying that he has not looked out of place in the Premier League and that this is the biggest compliment he can give him.
Everton’s task for next season will be to manage his development well, and it remains to be seen whether another loan spell will be the step the club takes. But if he stays, he will have a great opportunity to begin making a name for himself at the elite level, as he has enough qualities to do so.
Logically, there will also be expectations surrounding Everton’s two most expensive signings of the summer so far, Brennan Johnson and Merlin Röhl, both of an attacking profile and of similar ages, at 25 and 23, respectively.
The case of Brennan Johnson is well known, specifically because of his time at Tottenham, while Röhl already played 17 matches for Everton last season but it was only this campaign that he was signed permanently.
With only one goal during the 2025-26 season, the pressure is increasing on the German, and this upcoming season is expected to finally be his breakthrough season.
Likely outcome for 2026/27
Everton have a squad capable of making an impact domestically next season. However, everything will depend on Moyes finding and positively developing the synergy between his players.
The clear objective should be to remain in the upper half of the competition in order to qualify for European competitions ahead of the 2027-28 season. Any result outside that range should be considered a bad season for the Toffees.
Most likely, they will manage to remain in the middle of the Premier League table, but considering that there are projects that have been strengthening more aggressively, such as Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton or even newly promoted Coventry City and Hull City, it will be quite difficult for them to achieve the objective of overtaking all of them in the race to qualify for a European competition with so few high-profile reinforcements.
Another route they could take to achieve that would be through one of the cups, either the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, so depending on how the situation in the league looks during the important stages of those cups, we will see whether Moyes decides to prioritize one of them.
Manuel Meza is a writer for Hooligan Soccer. He is a distinguished digital content creator specializing in soccer and NHL writing, SEO, and podcast production. With a B.A. in Business Administration from Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora, Manuel has honed his expertise in news writing, copywriting, digital journalism, social media, and community growth. His prolific work, including over 600 articles for Athlon Sports, established him as a key contributor to their early soccer coverage. He notably led coverage of Sunderland for Sports Illustrated, elevating it to the network’s top soccer site. Manuel’s insights have also graced Yardbarker, Roundtable Sports, The Sporting News, Inter Miami News, and MX Futbol. As a former Site Expert at FanSided, he generated over one million pageviews in a single month and has hosted the official Spanish-language Paris Saint-Germain FanFest. Connect with Manuel on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack for his expert analysis and engaging content. Manuel is dedicated to delivering high-quality, insightful content that captivates and informs.
