Everton sign £21m striker gem and bargain midfielder in intriguing January transfer window prediction
David Moyes’ side have had a quiet window so far - will that change before the end of January?
It’s been a promising first full season back at on Merseyside for David Moyes but after a pretty lavish summer by Everton standards, he’s unsurprisingly had little to work with in the January window to try and kick on towards challenging for European qualification.
It’s something of a shame given Everton are probably a prolific striker away from really being in the mix for the top seven, especially given that they now have no cup competitions to worry about for the rest of the season unlike Newcastle, Chelsea and Liverpool, yet it’s understandable given two of the club’s biggest ever signings arrived in the summer and have failed to fire.
Thierno Barry finally seems to be picking up form, though whether that’s just a blip is yet to be seen, but £35 million arrival Tyler Dibling doesn’t even have that - he made 75% of his starts while Iliman Ndiaye was away at the Africa Cup of Nations but failed to register his first goal contribution for the club. And with that in mind, we asked Grok to predict how the rest of Everton’s transfer window will play out...
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Ricardo Pepi - £21m from PSV Eindhoven: Grok mentioned a few different striking options - including Sunderland frontman Wilson Isidor and Fenerbahçe’s Youssef En-Nesyri - but preferred Pepi.
The 23-year-old Texan has an impressive Eredivisie strike rate of a goal every 74 minutes and boasts a good record in international football too so looks like he could be a gem, but will Moyes have the patience to wait for another expensive import to adapt to the English game? He’s also injured right now, having broken his arm, and is being monitored by Fulham as well.
Weston McKennie - £13m from Juventus: Pepi’s international teammate (and fellow Texan) McKennie has been playing a decent amount for Juventus but doesn’t look likely to stick around in Turin beyond the end of the season when his contract expires, so The Old Lady wants to cash in. His wage demands would likely be significant, but in such an important World Cup year (assuming the world doesn’t end before June) McKennie will want to be playing competitive football for at least the first half of 2026.
Mykolenko departure would be a blow
Harrison Armstrong - loan to Preston North End: The 19-year-old was one of The Lilywhites’ best players in the first half of the season, but Everton recalled him at the start of the transfer window when Idrissa Gana Gueye headed to AFCON and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was sidelined leaving the Toffees light in midfield. Now that Everton are healthier, Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said “we’re all expecting him to come back” after his side’s midweek defeat to Hull City.
Vitaliy Mykolenko - £22m to Galatasaray: Given how Everton struggled in the opening games of the season when Moyes was put in the unholy position of deploying Tim Iroegbanum and James Garner at left-back before Mykolenko returned to fitness, you’d think Mykolenko’s exit would be contingent Everton receiving an offer they simply can’t refuse. Grok backs Galatasaray to make a late push for him though, which would surely pave the way for Adam Aznou to not just make his Premier League debut, but become a regular for Everton.