Everton will welcome Newcastle United to Merseyside in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup in October, with supporters hoping the fixture could finally mark the beginning of a meaningful cup run for David Moyes’ side.
Despite a difficult summer transfer window, Everton have made a promising start to the new Premier League campaign. The collapse of several key recruitment plans threatened to disrupt Moyes’ second full season back at the club, but the Toffees have responded with plenty of character.
After four league matches, Everton sit ninth in the Premier League, level on points with Liverpool and having suffered only one defeat.
Recent draws against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have further demonstrated the resilience and unity within Moyes’ squad. However, there remains one obvious weakness: a lack of cutting edge in attack.
Everton still feeling the loss of Calvert-Lewin
Dominic Calvert-Lewin left Everton as a free agent in 2025 after spending several years at Goodison Park. Since joining Leeds United under Daniel Farke, however, the striker has rediscovered his goalscoring touch.
The 29-year-old has scored 19 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions since the beginning of last season, highlighting the attacking quality Everton have lost.
Everton had opportunities to address the problem during the summer, but their recruitment plans failed to produce a new No. 9. A deadline-day move for Folarin Balogun from Monaco collapsed, while an attempt to sign Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee also came to nothing.
As a result, Thierno Barry remains the club’s main recognised centre-forward. Although the £27m signing has shown flashes of quality, his form has been inconsistent.
Calvert-Lewin’s impressive revival has inevitably led some Everton supporters to question whether allowing him to leave without a transfer fee was the correct decision. While his final years at Everton were disrupted by injuries and inconsistent form, his performances at Leeds suggest he is once again becoming one of the more dangerous goalscorers in the country.
Everton’s all-time Premier League scorers
Player| Appearances| Goals
Romelu Lukaku| 141| 68
Duncan Ferguson| 239| 60
Dominic Calvert-Lewin| 239| 57
Tim Cahill| 226| 56
Kevin Campbell| 145| 45
Everton also lost Beto during the summer, with the striker joining Fiorentina after finishing as the club’s top scorer over the previous two seasons.
The failure to bring in another centre-forward has therefore left Moyes with limited options until the January transfer window.
Everton may have already sold Calvert-Lewin’s replacement
The situation is even more frustrating because Everton previously had a young striker who could potentially have developed into a suitable replacement for Calvert-Lewin.
Youssef Chermiti joined Everton from Sporting Lisbon in 2023 as a promising but raw prospect. However, his time on Merseyside never really took off. He made just 25 appearances for the club in all competitions, with 20 of those coming during his first season, and he failed to score an Everton goal.
Chermiti was eventually sold to Rangers for £10m last summer.
Since moving to Scotland, though, the 22-year-old has developed considerably. He scored 15 goals in 30 Scottish Premiership appearances last season and has established himself as an important attacking player for Rangers.
Standing at 6ft 4in, Chermiti possesses the physical presence to compete in the air, averaging 6.1 aerial duels won per league match last season. He also created four big chances despite making only 20 league starts.
His development has made Everton’s decision to sell him particularly interesting. The Portuguese forward now appears to possess several of the qualities that made Calvert-Lewin so useful, including his height, mobility and ability to compete physically.
Of course, there is no guarantee Chermiti would have reached the same level had he remained at Everton. Nevertheless, his progress in Scotland suggests the club may have moved him on before discovering his full potential.
Everton face an attacking dilemma
Chermiti could at least have provided competition and cover for Barry, who has already contributed three goals and one assist for Moyes this season.
Instead, Everton’s other attacking options include players such as Tyrique George and Brennan Johnson, neither of whom is a natural central striker.
The Toffees’ summer recruitment problems could ultimately prove costly. Moyes has created a side that looks difficult to beat, but the lack of depth and quality in the final third could prevent Everton from making a serious push for European football.
There is still plenty of determination within this Everton team, but the club may ultimately look back at their transfer decisions and wonder whether they made their own challenge unnecessarily difficult.
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