Everton are pushing to make a signing at right-back ahead of the start of this summer’s pre-season efforts.
David Moyes decided to play Jake O’Brien out of position throughout the 2025/26 campaign due to the lack of quality options at right-back.
It is a position that has haunted Everton over recent seasons, with no excuses this summer over not adding in that department.
Now Hackney is confirmed, who should Everton be bringing in next? 💰
Time to take our foot off the brake pedal in the market…
There is an understanding that Everton are keen to sign Raoul Bellanova from Atalanta as their first-choice right-back.
Providing an attacking outlet from right-back has been sorely missed on Merseyside, and the addition of Bellanova would certainly please a number of people back at Finch Farm.
Winners
Beto and Thierno Barry
The 2025/26 Premier League season saw Everton attempt the 13th-most crosses of all 20 sides in the top flight.
As per Statmuse, the Toffees attempted 672 crosses, which was significantly fewer than Newcastle United (876) who topped the chart.
Following the injury to Jack Grealish, there was a real lack of service to Everton’s respective striker during the final months of the season.
Let us know your immediate thoughts! 🤩
Moyes has demanded his full-backs offer more in attack, and Bellanova would certainly be just that player.
Delving into his stats for the 2025/26 campaign, the Italian’s crossing output dwarfs that of Jake O’Brien.
Not only did Bellanova outperform O’Brien, but he also provided considerably more crosses than alternative right-back targets Djed Spence and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
This is the man to get the ball into the box for whoever leads the line this season.
Iliman Ndiaye
Everton are keen to re-sign Grealish this summer following his initial loan stint on Merseyside, which could mean Iliman Ndiaye will play on the right-wing.
Ndiaye did not show his usual high standards towards the backend of the season, and there are multiple factors to be considered.
One of those is the Senegal international being the sole focus on the right side for Everton given there is no overlapping right-back.
O’Brien is desperate to return to centre-back, with his inability to perform in the final third completely understandable.
Having a player of Bellanova’s quality to provide Everton with another threat down the right flank could help to unlock more space for Ndiaye to work his magic.
Bellanova’s heat map from last season shows exactly that, with the 26-year-old spending more time in the attacking half of the pitch on average.
Everton are crying out for a full-back who can also provide an attacking threat, which would have a positive knock-on effect with the actual attacking players.
David Moyes
Moyes has been demanding a new right-back ever since he returned to Merseyside back in 2025.
The addition of a player like Bellanova should offer Moyes the ability to make Everton play in the exact style he would like them to.
For 18 months now, the Toffees have been held back by their limitations in certain areas of the pitch; right-back being one of them.
Securing the services of Bellanova would be a big addition for Moyes and it would highlight the trust being placed in him by The Friedkin Group.
Losers
David Moyes
Yes, you read that correctly. Moyes may feature in our winners section, but he also has to feature as a potential loser.
By signing a player so offensively capable, the Scot would have very few excuses if he was unable to improve Everton over the coming months.
“We’ve been actively looking for a right-back for over a year,” Moyes said back in January.
The 63-year-old only has 12 months remaining on his Everton contract and a decision on his future needs to be made.
Signing Bellanova would indicate the Friedkins’ support in the market, but it would surely ramp up the pressure on the veteran manager to show some tangible improvements on Merseyside.
Nathan Patterson
There is an expectation that Nathan Patterson will leave Everton this summer following a turbulent spell at the club.
Signing a right-back of Bellanova’s quality would surely mark the end of Patterson’s time at Finch Farm.
Although moving on will provide the 24-year-old with the opportunity to impress elsewhere, it would mark a failed stint at Everton.
Patterson made the move to Merseyside back in 2022 from Rangers and has gone on to make just 67 appearances in four years.
Ultimately, for whatever reason, it has been a failed four years for the right-back, who has spent some of his most important years failing to develop his talent.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
