David Moyes smiles, and it’s a cheery smile at that. The 62-year-old has been quizzed on his reaction to Everton’s summer transfer business, and he is content with what he has seen.
Statman Dave hailed the Scottish manager as a “football genius” after his latest success, guiding Everton toward greener pastures. It’s an incomplete task and still in its early phase, but the signs are certainly promising.
Experienced stars such as Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have added flair and control to a Toffees team transitioning toward something more modern, still rooted in Moyes’ core tactical principles.
And who could be a better representation of that than the young and daring Tyler Dibling? Signed from Southampton for £42m in August, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder is the future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Why Everton signed Tyler Dibling
Everton looked to have added much to their attacking midfield ranks when landing Grealish, but Moyes still needed someone competent when coming off the right, and Dibling was the top target.
A series of efforts to sign the fleet-footed teenager were thwarted, but Everton finally secured their man, adding a rising star capable of standing out amongst giants within the Premier League.
He struggled for prolific success on the south coast last term, but then Southampton were embroiled in a pitiful relegation battle, and Dibling was hailed all the same for his “world-class talent” by Southampton’s academy manager, Andy Goldie.
Right winger
13
1 (0)
Attacking midfield
7
1 (2)
Centre-forward
5
2 (1)
Right wing-back
1
0 (0)
Dibling has the world at his feet, and if all goes to plan regarding the former Saints prospect’s development over the coming years, it could lead Moyes to creating Everton’s new version of Anthony Gordon, a player whose unsavoury exit almost three years ago remains a regretful thing to this day.
Everton must regret losing Anthony Gordon
While few of an Everton persuasion would have wanted Gordon to stay put after his antics in the build-up to his £45m transfer to Newcastle United in January 2023, his decision to force his way out of Goodison Park left a very sour taste on the saga.
A product of Everton’s youth academy, the Merseyside-born winger completed 77 appearances for the Toffees first team before his move, playing regularly in the Premier League for a year-and-a-half before his switch.
And despite banking a healthy sum for his sale, there’s so much to be frustrated about, with Gordon crowned Newcastle’s Player of the Year in 2023/24 and now standing tall as one of the most prominent wide forwards in England.
The acquisition of a young star such as Dibling will perhaps hand Everton the keys to fashion their new version of the England international, one who could stay for a greater period of their career, instead of taking flight at a critical point in the club’s history.
TalkSPORT host Simon Jordan rather unceremoniously likened Gordon’s Merseyside exit to being “like a rat wants to desert a sinking ship”, which is unquestionably unfair but still underlines the prevailing mood when the young winger did indeed jump ship.
Perhaps the whole ordeal reflects the state Everton were in at the time, kept afloat thereafter by Sean Dyche’s prowess in battling against the current of relegation.
But it still stings. Everton collected £45m for their wantaway prospect, but his value has since soared toward the ballpark of £100m, and he could have become a superstar in Everton blue had circumstances been different.
Still, with Moyes now running the show and the Toffees showing signs this season of real progress toward higher Premier League ground, it’s one that fans will choose not to think about too much.
Everton signed Iliman Ndiaye last summer and have now welcomed a prodigy in Dibling, after all.
