Everton found themselves right in the thick of things on transfer deadline day.
The deal for Tyrique George eventually went through, but only after extra time was needed. Dwight McNeil, meanwhile, looked set to move to Crystal Palace in a £20m deal.
However, the south Londoners pulled out at the last minute, leaving the Everton No.7 and his partner dejected – as shown on Instagram.
Before any of this unfolded, the Toffees had already faced setbacks in their pursuit of Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahce and N’Golo Kante from Al Ittihad.
According to Fabrizio Romano though, FIFA stepped in to block their moves elsewhere.
Everton rejected by N’Golo Kante and Youssef En-Nesyri, both remain at their clubs
Everton were set to bring En-Nesyri in on loan from Fenerbahce after having a bid accepted midway through January. However, the Morocco international turned down the move over concerns about Merseyside’s weather.
The Toffees also held talks with Kante before it became clear that the France international was keen to join Fenerbahce. That swap deal has now fallen through as well.
Romano posted on X (formerly Twitter) that both clubs had reached a verbal agreement, but FIFA stepped in to block the transfer due to document issues.
Kante is set to leave Al Ittihad when his contract runs out this summer, while En-Nesyri remains under contract with Fenerbahce until July 2029.
Contract terminations could open the door for Everton
There’s a real possibility that either Kante or En-Nesyri might choose to terminate their contracts after FIFA’s involvement, which could see them become free agents.
We’ve already seen Jhon Duran end his deal with Fenerbahce while both Everton and Tottenham were interested, and remember, clubs can still sign free agents even outside the window.
That’s also why Everton remain linked with Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard. Both are currently unattached following their departures from Chelsea and FC Seoul.
The list of available players doesn’t end there. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Dele Alli are also without clubs at the moment.
So even though the window has shut, David Moyes still has options if he wants to strengthen his squad further.
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