Everton were spoken to about the possibility of signing A. Martial as a free agent, but the move now looks highly unlikely. TEAMtalk reported that intermediaries had contacted a number of clubs in England before the window closed, and sources close to Everton have poured cold water on the idea of bringing him to Merseyside. It is a neat snapshot of where things stand after a frustrating window for the club.
Everton's striker search
The free-agent interest did not come from nowhere. Everton’s late loan bid for Joshua Zirkzee was rejected by Manchester United, and [Folarin Balogun’s] £40m move to Everton fell through at the eleventh hour. That left the club still looking for cover up front, with only Thierno Barry available as a striker in the current squad.
Barry has already scored once in 2 Premier League appearances this season, so Everton do have one forward who has started well. Even so, the club’s recent league form, one win, two draws and two defeats in their last five games, shows why the market keeps circling.
Martial's recent falloff
Martial’s name still carries baggage from earlier in his career. He became the most expensive teenage signing in football history when he moved to Manchester United in 2015, but his most recent spell at Monterrey brought just 1 goal in 20 appearances.
That return explains why clubs were willing to listen without rushing into anything. Everton were among the sides spoken to, along with Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur, but the club line now is clear enough: this one is not moving forward.
Everton’s next Premier League fixture is at home to Manchester United on 2026-09-06, and any short-term forward addition would need to be ready quickly if the club changes its mind before then.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
