Everton are trying to bolster their squad ahead of the 2026/27 season, but a development with William Saliba could now sting the Toffees.
The club have done three deals so far this summer, with Hayden Hackney arriving and Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl joining permanently.
How excited are you by Everton’s signing of Tyrique George on a permanent deal? Can he really kick on now after his loan?
The deal is now official, with the Toffees paying an initial £18m, with £6m to come in potential add-ons… ✅
Everton fans are now clamouring to see the arrival of a new right-back, which is a priority position.
But Everton have had no luck so far, with a number of targets seeing big increases to their valuations after playing well at the World Cup.
One player Everton have been linked with several times this year is Ben White, who seems a very David Moyes-type player on the face of it.
But any move could now be complicated.
William Saliba injury could stop Everton signing Ben White
On Tuesday, France took on Spain in the World Cup semi-final and lost.
Spain ran out 2-0 winners, with the French having no answer to Spain’s game plan which was built on control.
But France were stung early doors when they lost William Saliba to an injury. He sat on the ground while he had the ball to signal something was badly wrong and he needed to come off.
It has since transpired that Saliba needs back surgery, which will sideline him for around four to five months.
That is a huge blow for Arsenal, who may now prevent Ben White from leaving.
Just focusing on Everton’s right-back search, who should the club bring in this summer and why? 🤔
From Spence, to White, to Norton-Cuffy, there have been links to so many players so far…
White has been on Everton’s radar for a while, and has the capacity to play both right-back and centre-back.
With Saliba out for the foreseeable, the Gunners in theory could be less likely to sell White, who cost Arsenal £50 million (BBC Sport), as he could provide cover in the middle.
It’s previously been suggested White would like to play centrally again, and he might fancy his chances of regular football following Saliba’s setback. There is also the notion that Jurrien Timber or Cristhian Mosquera could move into the middle, freeing up the right-back spot for White.
It’d be unsurprising if Moyes was left disappointed by this development, because White is clearly someone the Scot would love, given his physical profile and ability to play two positions.
It may well be that Everton need to shift their focus to other targets.
Djed Spence remains a top target, but his valuation may well have climbed too high after his exploits at the World Cup.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy is a cheaper option, so the Toffees might look at landing the Genoa star.
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