06 Sep 2026 10:55:02
I know for now we have to concentrate on the players we currently have and I honestly believe we will be okay until January when we can hopefully spend money on some better squad options, but if what Moyes says is true and we are looking at the free agents available who could give us that little extra security then here is my findings.
Diogo Leite, Centre Back, 27 years old, has a good physical presence and is left footed, so he would provide good balance and cover for Branthwaite, while also being comfortable playing out from the back. He has Bundesliga experience with Union Berlin as well as Champions League and Europa League experience, and his wages at Union were around £28k per week. He isn't particularly quick and can be aggressive when stepping out to challenge, which can leave space behind him, and he had a hamstring injury last season, but overall he'd be a very good option for Everton on a free transfer.
Malang Sarr, 27 years old, is also a left footed centre back who can also cover at left back, so he'd give Everton some useful defensive versatility. He already knows the Premier League from his time at Chelsea and has experience in Ligue 1, the Premier League and European football, while his last Lens deal was worth roughly £36k per week according to wage estimates. He's reasonably quick, technically comfortable and physically strong, although his Chelsea career never really took off and he's had a stop start career, so there is a question over whether he can consistently perform at Premier League level. Still, his experience makes him a relatively safe free transfer option.
Krépin Diatta, 27 years old, is an interesting option because he can play right back, right wing back and right wing, so he could give Everton cover in several positions rather than simply being a replacement full back. He's athletic, quick and has plenty of European experience with Monaco, while he has also won 64 Senegal caps and was part of their AFCON winning side. Monaco confirmed he left after 143 appearances, although his attacking numbers were relatively modest at just eight goals and seven assists. The biggest concern is that he hasn't been a regular starter recently and reportedly hasn't played competitively since April, so his fitness and sharpness would need checking but could still be a good option for free.
Jadon Sancho, 26 years old, is easily the biggest free agent name on this list and probably has mixed reviews from people here but he would give Everton a naturally talented winger who can play on either side. He's excellent technically, very good in 1v1 situations and capable of creating chances, while his previous Borussia Dortmund form showed that he can operate at Champions League level and he already knows the Premier League. His final Manchester United wage was around £50k per week in the wage estimates I found. His biggest problem is consistency, with his Manchester United spell followed by mixed loan spells at Dortmund, Chelsea and Aston Villa, so Everton would be betting on getting the player he was at Dortmund rather than the player we've seen recently.
and Bamba Dieng, 26 years old, is a quick and athletic striker who can also play from the left, making him useful in a front three or alongside another striker. He has Ligue 1 experience, is a Senegal international and has the pace to attack space behind a Premier League defence, while his last Lorient wage was estimated at around £15k per week, making him potentially very affordable compared with many Premier League players. His main weakness is that he's not a proven high level goalscorer and hasn't played in the Premier League before, but for a free transfer he'd be an interesting option who still has room to improve.
06 Sep 2026 12:47:55
Why aren't you on our recruitment team, Optimum, instead of idiots we've got?
06 Sep 2026 13:00:06
Because all this player information is comprehensive and easily accessible. Majority of cases, they are free agents for a reason. I guarantee that most Clubs fans (except those Clubs whose income is massive and no scr concerns) have supporters moaning about recruiting. There is no accounting for a player that just ups and walks.
06 Sep 2026 13:21:18
Sancho was on about five times that per week at United.
06 Sep 2026 13:24:12
I'd still take Optimum, Southern Toffee or BN over the clowns running the recruitment at the moment.
Having people who actually care about the club and want it to do well might be better placed in convincing others to join.
If we are stuck with the free agents, we still have to find the right fit, but not like Kinnear's waffle and actually mean it.
06 Sep 2026 13:40:27
But those 3 are not recruiting, are they? We could all make a list every day with profiles, complete stats, value and potential as long as our arms, but we are not employed as scouts, DoF's, coaches, recruiting staff/negotiators.
More importantly, believing that our Club or any Club is being negligent/naive in its processes is bonkers thinking. Anyway, back to my beers. Got a game to watch in 80 mins.
06 Sep 2026 15:02:40
With the greatest of respect to all posters, summarising what we could all find on Wikipedia does not make us talented scouts. Our recruitment team is paid to identify talent and sign it. Largely, they've failed. If any of those free transfers were any good, Brighton or Bournemouth would have signed them already.
06 Sep 2026 17:41:09
They may well have better players in those positions, JB, and don't need the additional to their wage bill. We might have some money and those players might be better than what we have. lots of unknowns.
It's opinion whether we think the recruitment team are negligent/naive, dms, as there isn't a standards committee or governing body to hold them accountable for their actions. The fans acted as some sort of check when they started messing with the Armstrong nonsense.
No matter what we think, it's TFG's opinion that matters. That's where they will be held to account. If they are happy with how we left the window worse than three days before it, then that's their view. The keepers are the same, and central midfield improved, but defence is weaker due to LB and RB. Wingers are yet to see, and we know the striking options are much weaker, as we have one official striker. I'd hope the business people TFG are, they may well have started looking for replacements for Kinnear.
Also, three years left on his contract and selling Ndiaye for £65m in the current market seems mad to me.
What I learnt from that window is the recruitment team are a PR disaster. It's become a common thread amongst pundits, commentators and lots of news outlets that it was a disaster for us. For an industry that football has turned into, I'm surprised changes have not been made yet. Having a well run club is important in attracting players (as well as league position, Europe and money) . If their job was to identify players who would fit it with the club, ethos etc. I feel they dropped a clanger with a striker who walked out at the 11th hour. Maybe TFG see it differently. 18 senior outfield players - lowest in the league.
Hope you all enjoyed the game. I'm strapping in for the rollercoaster that we are bound to be on again. Happy when it stops and we can have a more stable club performing well and financed by our new stadium.