Jack Grealish has shown Everton what an instant impact looks like, but summer approach needs time

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Everton fans have taken to Jack Grealish very quickly, but other summer signings are taking longer to settle.

Everton lost 3-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon as David Moyes’ side were exposed from set pieces.

Micky van de Ven’s first-half brace handed Tottenham a 2-0 lead, before Pape Matar Sarr added number three.

The defeat means Everton have started the season with three wins, two draws and four defeats from nine games.

This is the very definition of mixed results, and Everton are currently suffering from summer signings needing time to settle.

Everton summer signings require patience amid Jack Grealish impact

Everton snapped up Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City, and the winger made an instant impact.

Grealish may have spent last season on the fringes at City, but he has slotted seamlessly back into Premier League life.

Grealish has given Everton fans a taste of what an instant-impact player can do, elevating the Toffees to a new level when he is on song.

The problem is that Everton’s other signings have not been able to replicate Grealish’s immediate impact.

Fans are left craving players who can come in and hit the ground running, but Everton focused on signing players for the future.

Thierno Barry isn’t ready for Premier League action, Merlin Rohl is only just coming into the mix, and both Tyler Dibling and Adam Aznou are on the fringes.

This approach makes sense for The Friedkin Group; they will want talented players who could make Everton money down the line.

Barry, Rohl, Dibling and Aznou all fit that bill, but they all require patience at Premier League level.

The glimpse of Grealish’s class has left Everton fans dreaming of similar additions, but his fellow new arrivals need more time to shine.

Patience is often in short supply in the Premier League, but Everton must stick with those young stars while potentially adding more proven quality around them in 2026.

Everton must strike the right balance in 2026

Everton did land another proven Premier League player by signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea.

The problem is that Dewsbury-Hall hasn’t clicked as a number 10 and may need to be deployed a little deeper.

All of this means that Everton’s starting XI has only received two proven Premier League additions, while significant funds have been committed to players for the future.

We can understand how The Friedkin Group are approaching this Everton project, but the balance between future investments and proven players could be improved.

Everton wanted Kenny Tete over the summer, and the Fulham defender fits the bill in terms of being a player who could have slotted straight in.

Signing more players like Grealish won’t be easy, given the competition for their signatures, but Everton must improve right now as well as looking towards the future – or the starting XI won’t be good enough for the here and now.