Everton in talks to sign £17m defender

Everton are at a critical juncture. David Moyes has made steady progress since returning to Merseyside in January 2025, but a disappointing end to the recent campaign has left the fanbase anxious and expectant.

For the second season in a row, Everton finished 13th in the Premier League last year, one point better, 49 all told. It might be a somewhat narrow-minded way of looking at the Toffees’ development after a period of intense turmoil, but an end-of-season collapse effectively ended aspirations of playing in Europe that were sky-high when Chelsea were thrashed at the Hill Dickinson in March.

Such displays of incisive attacking intent were few and far between throughout the campaign, and while the hunt for fresh forwards continues, Moyes’ pragmatic roots have seen the transfer cannon be turned toward the capital, where full-back Djed Spence is emerging as a top target for the Merseysiders.

Why Moyes wants to bring Djed Spence to Everton

Spence can polarise critics, but he has been crucial throughout the 2026 World Cup, someone who has been tipped to have boast the skillset to stifle Lionel Messi during Wednesday’s much-anticipated semi-final clash.

And Everton do need to sign a full-back. Jake O’Brien has filled in on the right side of the Toffees’ backline for the lion’s share of Moyes’ return to the Everton dugout, and while he has done a solid job, the centre-back’s role there has because chipped at the fluency and balance a more natural wide profile would provide.

In that, Spence could be a wonderful addition, but if Tottenham do want to bank £40m for his sale, as recent reports have suggested, then the Friedkin Group are inevitably going to think twice.

Is Spence that good? Would he enjoy such an impact as to ensure that Everton get bang for their buck? These are the pertinent questions, but with Seamus Coleman having drawn the curtain on his Everton career, and Nathan Patterson’s Everton future looking uncertain, something surely needs to be done.

Spence would be an interesting signing, to be sure, but the Merseyside club could strike gold by exploring a different corner of the transfer market.

Everton in talks to sign upgrade on Djed Spence

Fans eagerly await news of an Everton advancement on a flashy new forward, but there is something comforting in seeing that Moyes is determined to fix his wide problems first. By doing so, the Merseysiders could hit a degree of balance that would close the gap on those European positions next season.

And according to TEAMtalk, Everton are pursuing a deal to sign Genoa right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy this summer, who is open to rejoining the English scene after two successful seasons in Italy.

Recent discussions with intermediaries have revealed that Genoa would be open to striking a deal this summer. Everton explored a deal for the one-time Arsenal academy product in January, and it does now appear that interest will be revisited, with the Serie A side willing to pass him on if their €20m (£17m) valuation is met.

Let’s make no mistake here, Spence is a talented full-back and he is showing that over the pond with the Three Lions. Defensively, he is strong and unflinching, but whether he is worth £40m with such a limited offensive game is another question.

If you then consider that Norton-Cuffy would be available for less than half that figure, you see why Everton are so keen. As per analyst Ben Mattinson, he is an “insane carrier” and is “ridiculously physical”.

Norton-Cuffy might have been overlooked by Tuchel, but he is making headway in Italy, developing into an interesting profile whose stock would skyrocket upon returning to the Premier League and playing under Moyes’ wing. After all, Everton have shaped into an industrious, committed and united squad, they just need more vim and vigour when on the attack.

Norton-Cuffy can hold his own from a defensive standpoint, and his emphasis on defending and challenging his opposite numbers in his side’s attacking half would open up a new dimension that has undoubtedly been lacking for the Toffees over the past year-and-a-half.

It’s a deal that Moyes and co need to complete, far shrewder, and perhaps far more impactful, than a £40m deal to bring Spence over to the Hill Dickinson.