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Will the saga ever end? After silence for much of the summer, David Moyes has discussed Everton's ongoing need for a right-back as the transfer deadline fast approaches. Moyes has confirmed that Everton have 'bid for a few' right-backs as the club look to address the issue before the deadline. Everton's right-back position has been an ongoing saga with no new arrival so far this summer, with time running out as we enter the final days of the transfer window. Jake O'Brien has deputised at full-back for much of the last two campaigns, while Moyes praised the pre-season performances of Merlin Röhl at right-back. Everton have been linked with a number of potential options in recent days, including Fulham's Timothy Castagne, Crystal Palace wing-back Daniel Munoz, and Aston Villa's Matty Cash. Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Crystal Palace tomorrow, Moyes said the club have submitted multiple bids for right-back targets. "We have identified a few right-backs that we like, we have bid for a few. We are right in there. We have got Jake O'Brien, Merlin Rohl did well in pre-season, Jimmy Garner was excellent there. We are certainly short on numbers, and have room to get a right-back. "We are trying to do the right thing. We are looking at levels of players and trying to see if they are better than what we have in the building. "We want that person to be someone who can help us improve." In a less optimistic update, Moyes added that Everton's failure to sign a right-back was a result of injuries, differences in pricing, and suitability. Reader Comments (84) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () 1 Posted 21/08/2026 at 14:54:42 Moysey, don't you know we have a world class recruitment team scouring the planet for footballers for the last 6 months! 2 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:03:55 3 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:05:03 "I thought everybody just wanted to make sure we moved into our new stadium safely without a difficult season -- and we certainly did that." And we have a whole season of this bullshit to endure! 4 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:11:24 It's beyond predictable, and the self-justification for consistently under-achieving is nauseating. If he does perform better than the bare minimum, he is then the master of self-aggrandisement. It's pretty clear there is beef between Moyes and the owners and I think we all suspect he'll be out sooner than later unless he pulls off a Ranieri… 5 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:18:03 AKA Stability 6 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:36:47 7 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:37:54 8 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:39:20 Wan Bissaks goes, did we have any input? Very strange transfer window just hope we have rnough? 9 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:51:33 And the whole time, they are under contract to somewhat create the drama that makes the show go. They know the situation, have NDAs to keep the temple secrets, and they play along like they are somewhat helpless against the overall dysfunction. It looks a sad act indeed. I don't share the sympathy developing for Moyes in this season's show. To some extent, he knew his return was precisely to enable this type of maneuvering. The Moyes chatter seemed rather content with the scheme when we were chasing Europe. Then would have been the time to use the position, along with TFG's absence, to advance some specific expectations on squad building. This looks like some sad performance art. 11 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:53:53 12 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:54:28 Believe that if we was offered Reece James, Hakimi, Dumfries or someone like that he'd refuse them ? Crazy how quickly half of ToffeeWeb put this shit on Moyes. The owners need to stop acting like amateurs and get better players into the building and fast. Let's be honest we are short, we need to sell Beto and buy a striker, Beto has 12 months left on a deal so he needs selling before he's on a free, that said how many other teams have just 2 strikers to there name ! Right back has been an issue for a long time, Coleman has onmy just left but any man and his dog could have told you he wasn't playing 30+ games last year. Young left to collect his pension. Patterson has been here 5 years or something, he's never held down the right back spot in all that time, not even for a month so he's a none starter. We need owners who are going to be serious, back the manager the way he deserves to be back. Owners us as fans deserve also. So yes, Moyes has his vices, and yes some on here want him out, but anyone who's nieve enough to blame the lack of spending on Moyes needs to give there heads a wobble. 13 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:56:01 We’ve no natural right back for tomorrow, so for me the only player who looks comfortable playing there, despite not being his natural position, is Merlin Rohl. Yet we all know it will be Jake O’Brien at RB just so Tarkowski can be shoehorned into the back four. No doubt Jarrad will start on the bench so Keane can be shoehorned in. Moyes will cite Branthwaite’s recent injury as a reason to bench him tomorrow. MOYES OUT!! 14 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:56:07 Or am I out of touch and the U21s are just there for financial fodder? How many U21s have advanced to the main squad in the past couple of years? 15 Posted 21/08/2026 at 15:57:33 Owners/ CEO say last season a failure, manager says it wasn’t. Moyes we’ve bid for plenty; CEO we’re biding time for right one. Picture of disjointed structure emerging. How can this be healthy..? 16 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:00:38 17 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:01:13 We see now the full poverty of their ambition. they have known all pre season that this presser was coming, where Moyes would be asked if we were in good shape and were spending appropriately. And when it became clear that he was not going to say how great everything was, they clearly told him it would be better for him not to say anything at all. Hence the silence. So they have let us be given the impression for the last two months that things were in hand. Knowing they would eventually be exposed. Hence again the interview with dickhead yesterday, when he suddenly announced the season before had been a failure. Despite not setting Europe as a target the year before. Just so that when Moyes complained about these cheapskates people will think 'oh, it's just bad blood form what Angus said yesterday'. that's how stupid they think we are. You would have to think that Moyes is now on borrowed time. Now, if they knew this breach was coming, the question to ask is 'well why didn't they just get rid of Moyes months ago'. And clearly they are happy to muddle along, not backing the manager, just so long as we don't get relegated, And if things go pear shaped in the next few weeks, they can get someone else in but 'whoops, we can't spend any money now, the window's shut'. These people are our worst nightmare. Cynical, bloodless dollar motivated gobshites. 18 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:08:32 20 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:13:05 Tarks had been consistent but is maybe getting past his best and Keane is below average and wasn't much above it at his best. Jake has become more right back minded but is not better than average at it in most games so that leaves Jarrad as the shoe - in provided he stays fit. Myko is also average and had become stale under Moyes Rohl could be the man but is looking more like a useful midfielder. However, defensively, teams usually line up according to who they are playing. We shall see tomorrow what Moyes prefers and if it gets us success but I would be happier when Garner is fit again. 22 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:23:12 23 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:26:05 24 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:28:26 The right back issue didn't just pop up. It's been a problem for three years running now. I don't want to hear it anymore. Just get it done. Talk is cheap. 25 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:29:59 Yeah, I thought not. Everton are like that toy you had as a kid that you didn’t care about or play with. The bigger and better toy got all of the attention. Total fuckin negligence of the tallest order. 26 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:33:33 Everton can’t offer Europe, so will need to entice players of the calibre we need with financial inducements and excessive transfer fees. Unless we act NOW, we are going to lose our cream in 12 months, if not before. 27 Posted 21/08/2026 at 16:54:32 He also indicated that we were in for Johnston but wouldn't pay Celtic's price and then the injury finished that one off. Don't the club realize the importance of a proper right back and proficient goalscorer? 28 Posted 21/08/2026 at 17:33:33 I am fascinated as to what happens in the next few weeks as it the CEO's view that 70% will be done but nothing happens, then I can see a toxic atmosphere building if the early results are poor. Bring on 1st September and lets see where we are. 29 Posted 21/08/2026 at 17:39:34 30 Posted 21/08/2026 at 17:42:19 31 Posted 21/08/2026 at 17:52:01 32 Posted 21/08/2026 at 18:06:09 33 Posted 21/08/2026 at 18:12:08 34 Posted 21/08/2026 at 18:19:07 35 Posted 21/08/2026 at 18:23:18 A poor start and there will be a quick parting of the ways. 36 Posted 21/08/2026 at 18:51:55 37 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:12:30 His narcissism knows no bounds. He actually thinks he is brilliant. Can't stand the man. If anything he's got worse in this second spell. Shuts down any criticism with a scowl and spouts self-serving nonsense and doggerel. And his teams play mind-numbing football devoid of intensity or excitement. He's the luckiest football manager of all time, to have found a club of our size and a luvvie sentimentalist chairman who put up with him so long. 38 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:12:59 Craig Patterson? Jimmy Gardener -- twice!!! Ignorant and so rude of Moyes. 39 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:13:09 40 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:13:13 However, if you're right there with 5-6 games to go and you blow it, that's a failure, whether you set out for it or not. It's relative to your position, how the season has gone, how others are doing, and it was their for the taking. So if we are sitting top of the league with5 games to go, right in the mix and didn't win it, it wouldn't be a failure because conference league was the target !! It's the negativity, the talking down, tempering expectations, and belittling of our club that I can't stand. Villa & Newcastle didn't stop once they got European football, they demand that that's what they should get, or better, they don't see it as maybe we might go for Europe or CL, they demand it. Moyes should be demanding from these players, in public & behind closed doors, not saying oh maybe we could, I'm not sure, where not ready. Everton can't "make great strides" that is literally his job. 41 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:36:56 The very definition of failure. And that's not even talking about the cups. 42 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:44:57 Everyone makes mistakes but that's acceptable if that person is 40 years old, Moyes is 63 (same as me, btw) I think this needs looking at... Mitchell Kendrick Lamar should be all over it. 😤 44 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:46:14 There is a massive difference in making a bid for a player and making a market value bid for a player. Moyes will never spend money, he dithers, hence his name, Dithering Dave. Do us all a favour and take the Scotland job, before you are pushed. Fans will be right on his back this season, from the 1st kick on Saturday. 45 Posted 21/08/2026 at 19:55:19 The Scotland job is taken. 46 Posted 21/08/2026 at 20:10:34 47 Posted 21/08/2026 at 20:15:41 already got one of those. 48 Posted 21/08/2026 at 20:32:42 It's quite clear he isn't too bothered about recruiting a specialist right back. Nobody is naive, Moyes just isn't the man to take the club forward, no matter how much you try to defend him. 49 Posted 21/08/2026 at 20:43:55 What did you expect Moyes to say? "We're fecking desperate for a right back and will pay over the odds to fill that position" 50 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:26:44 Everyone knows we need a right-back, even Andy Burnham has alerted everyone to our requirements. 51 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:29:17 52 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:41:17 Surely even you two blind cats can see he's playing down our need? Holefully Andy B. will be as astute! 53 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:47:08 54 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:51:59 F'kinear was recently promising we would get our No 1 RB choice. Moyes not so much. Which narrative are you buying 55 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:53:41 "We're fecking desperate for a right back As posted above he doesn't have to. We have required a right back for 3 years, the football world is well aware of that 56 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:56:39 57 Posted 21/08/2026 at 21:56:53 58 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:00:46 59 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:08:58 Out of all the signings last summer, it was only Grealish and KDH, who got enough minutes once the season started, so if the manager isn’t happy with the players we have recruited (even though he’s involved in the process) then you don’t have to be blind to realise that they won’t get many minutes on the pitch. My own view is that even a blind cat, would be able to sense things aren’t quite right, behind the scenes at Everton, right now. 60 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:09:54 Only Moyes could be happy with 2 midfielders and a centre back covering the right back position. With the possible exception of you. But if you are happy with the current situation, fair play to you 61 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:11:53 TFG saw it as a failure, there was a review into what went wrong in those last seven games... Yet Moyes didn't know about it? Seriously? 62 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:13:02 And Friedkin the skinflint leech! Vicious Don, fuckin vicious. 63 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:17:36 Ending 13th instead of 7th cost £20mill regardless of not qualifying for a micky-mouse contest in Europe and now Moyes publicly identifying him and his, ahem, "top" team as duplicitous, to put it mildly, may well enable our Davie to soon look forward to having regular drinks again in Lytham's pubs with his mates such as Colin Hendry. 64 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:18:04 Despite the disastrous finish to last season owing to us having no quality defenders, we face the new season with the same bunch. the fact Angus chose yesterday to reveal last season was a failure, was clearly to spike Moyes's guns for today when he was set to reveal the chaos of our recruitment. If Moyes wanted a quiet life, all he needed to do was say it's all good and wait for the £15m right back to arrive. I think he's letting us know, this bunch are cheapskates looking to lowball and put in the minimum. So now we know. 65 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:24:18 Happily dissatisfied, said one, I don’t think the fans will be disappointed said the other. Two self preservers, at a time when our fans deserve so much better after the shite we have had to endure for so long. 66 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:33:42 John #55 So of course Moyes doesn't have to double down on it. Tony #59 Take Moyes over K'immear any time. I'm here all night Dale 67 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:38:55 I'll play. So what should Moyes have said? 68 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:43:39 He now wants credit for 'not having too difficult a season'. An absolute charlatan. Every word that comes out his mouth is drowned in the sticky brown stuff. 69 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:46:04 70 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:48:13 I'm hoping they're holding back on transfer funds so that the new manager can have a decent budget next summer. He's deffo gone next summer at the latest, I fucking hope! 71 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:51:01 At the start of the season what goals do you imagine TFG set Moyes? 72 Posted 21/08/2026 at 22:53:31 My point is we have needed a right back since the first day he walked in the door. For a couple of years before that day as well. 73 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:04:15 We've needed a right back well before Moyes came right back... 74 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:05:28 75 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:05:29 For his own good, Craig really must leave Everton Football Club. 76 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:26:51 77 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:36:33 I'll be astonished - should I be astonished any longer by the oldest PL gaffer by 9 years - deeply concerned, and angry if Keane starts ahead of Jarrad. Try and have at least an hour or so pre-season optimism Rob before Saar scores. 78 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:39:59 79 Posted 21/08/2026 at 23:42:39 But whatever the goals were, you can bet our cabbage patch-faced failure of a manager would have no problem moving them to further protect himself. He's a shallow skinned narcissist who has leeched off this great club for far too long. 80 Posted 21/08/2026 at 00:02:24 Of course we have no idea what goals TFG set Moyes But he's still here. Why do you think that is? 81 Posted 21/08/2026 at 00:07:53 If he cannot understand the owners said it was failure last season, then we are in deep trouble. With 8 games to go, both Beto and Barry started to score goals, but his stubbornness those last 8 games of keeping with Keane and Tarks as a centre half pairing cost us big time, we were shipping in two to three goals a game, but still left our best fit centre half O,Brien at right back. The one against city was unforgivable, 3-1 up, they kick off while Tarks is almost in a left back position, scratching his arse and switching off. What happens if we do land a right back, he will drop O,Brien before he drops Tarks, not getting a right back will be right up Moyes street, it takes out the conundrum of centre half pairings. The owners should have stepped in and parted ways with the manager, while Oliver Glasner was still available, you watch Forest improve this season. 82 Posted 21/08/2026 at 00:16:28 83 Posted 21/08/2026 at 00:20:18 84 Posted 21/08/2026 at 00:26:09 Maybe OFM and F'kinnear really get on each others' tits and make an ugly public scene of it. Then the pundits, erect with evil intent, go completely overboard covering it (calling David Ornstein), and Friedkin fires them both like what happened at Roma. 85 Posted 21/08/2026 at 01:12:57 I'd like Doue but if not him, White. I've no idea why people keep calling him a CB. He could maybe provide some cover there, but Arteta converted him very successfully into a RB 4 years ago and he is a country mile better than anyone we've had in that position for 5 years or so. 86 Posted 22/08/2026 at 01:17:01 87 Posted 22/08/2026 at 01:39:14 88 Posted 22/08/2026 at 01:41:09 Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW