Everton explore move for “phenomenal” £40m teen

With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added to the ranks, Everton are starting to take shape as the 2025/26 campaign looms large.

David Moyes did a fine job last season, replacing Sean Dyche in January and steering the Toffees away from relegation danger and into the comfort of mid-table. They finished 13th in the Premier League, with pragmatic resilience and flashes of exciting attacking quality providing Goodison Park with a poignant but rousing send-off.

Now, this new chapter at the Hill Dickinson Stadium demands a grander vision, and Moyes is determined to emulate his previous success with Everton and West Ham United by driving this Blues team into European competition and restoring the club’s reputation.

After the first-team exodus at the end of last season, which was much needed, Everton need to make a series of further additions this month, with the market murmurings suggesting the Friedkin Group aren’t done in the middle of the park just yet.

Everton still chasing midfielders

Dewsbury-Hall is a fantastic midfielder, robust and reliable. However, Abdoulaye Doucoure’s exit in June calls for more quality in the centre.

The exciting Tyler Dibling has been withdrawn from first-team training at Southampton amid Everton talks. Moyes has already overseen two knocked-back bids for the attacking midfielder, 19, who can play centrally or out wide.

A more pragmatic profile would belong to Aston Villa’s John McGinn, with recent news suggesting Everton have seen an £18m offer rejected for the 30-year-old Scot.

Instead, TFG are ready to turn toward Sunderland’s Chris Rigg, with TEAMtalk revealing that Everton are exploring a move for the midfielder, who is among England’s sought-after teenagers.

The report states that Everton’s scouting team have urged caution, for the 18-year-old is priced at £40m and the Black Cats are under no pressure to sell. The Toffees will observe from afar across the campaign, ready to pounce.

What Chris Rigg would bring to Everton

Rigg might only be 18, but he’s already become a major player at the Stadium of Light, starting 36 Championship fixtures last season as Sunderland clawed their way back into the Premier League.

Though Dibling has proven himself at the top level, there’s little question that Rigg could explode into the limelight if afforded the opportunity, and he will, having engineered the promotion with his controlled, productive performances.

Among Dibling’s most striking strengths is his tactical fluency, able and impressive across any number of positions. Rigg shares this quality, maybe even more dynamic than his fellow prodigy.

Given that Rigg has yet to actually play out a match in England’s top flight, and he is still considered to be worth something in the region of £40m, much like Dibling, Everton might find that they could sign an even bigger talent in the versatile midfielder.

And he shares some of his young countryman’s ball-playing and -carrying properties too. Rigg wrapped up the 2024/25 Championship term ranked among the top 17% of positional peers for succcessful take-ons and the top 18% for passes into the penalty area, as per FBref, denoting both power and intuition when on the ball.

Hailed for his “phenomenal talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Rigg has what it takes to become a superstar in the Premier League, with the journalist continuing to say he’s “a technically gifted midfielder capable of moments of brilliance.”

With Everton opening talks with Manchester City for Jack Grealish, the need for a youngster such as Dibling is eased somewhat.

Should Rigg become available next summer, perhaps Moyes and co would be better off playing the long game.