Everton are unbeaten after five Premier League games and through to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, but the late end to the transfer window has taken over the conversation. David Moyes was left with just 18 senior outfield players and one recognised striker, which is a thin group for a club trying to build on an encouraging start. Joe Thomas of the Liverpool Echo said part of the damage came from a late switch in direction and the collapse of the Falorin Balogun deal.
The early results
The start on the pitch has been decent by any normal standard. Everton have taken nine points from their last five league games, sit seventh and have conceded only three goals in those five matches. That is why the reaction to the window has been so sharp. Results have given Moyes some breathing room, but the squad depth left behind after the deadline is hard to ignore.
The late switch in direction
Thomas wrote that "the window went well before being derailed by a combination of the late switch in direction (to operate on a sell-to-buy basis) and bad luck in the case of the collapse of the Falorin Balogun deal." That version of events matters because it does not point to one simple explanation. It suggests the club had momentum, then changed course late on, and the Balogun move fell away on top of that.
The ownership angle is still open. Thomas also said the Friedkin Group's precise intentions remain unclear, while it appears they are open to outside investment. Everton paid roughly £330m for the club, and Hill Dickinson Stadium is nearing completion, so the broader off-field backdrop is still moving even as the football side has started well.
The next league test after the break is away at Hull City on 2026-10-11, and Moyes will go into that game knowing the main problem is not the results so far, but how short the squad looks after the window closed.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
