Everton's Transfer Strategy: Targeting Franculino and Key Positions

The 2–0 win over Crystal Palace didn’t change Everton’s transfer plans. It sharpened them.

A strong start has only convinced David Moyes that this is the moment to be bold, not cautious. Behind the scenes, the pace has quickened. A striker, a right-back, a left-back and a centre-back are all being actively pursued as Goodison Park braces for a frantic finish to the window.

Franculino at the heart of the plan

The name that jumps off the page is Franculino.

Everton have not stumbled across the Midtjylland forward in a late-window panic. They have tracked the 22-year-old for a while and, according to TeamTalk, have now held fresh talks with his representatives after extensive scouting. This is groundwork, not guesswork.

His numbers demand attention: 58 goals in 115 games for Midtjylland. That is not a hot streak; it is a body of work. A move earlier in the year was disrupted by injury, but he is now fully fit and, crucially, open to a Premier League switch.

TeamTalk suggest that around €25million (£21.4m / $29.2m) could be enough to prise him away, with Newcastle also circling. For a club that has so often shopped in the wrong aisle, that sort of fee for that sort of output feels like the kind of calculated gamble Everton have been crying out for.

The pursuit of a striker is directly tied to Beto. Everton are anticipating offers for the forward before the deadline, yet their stance is firm: he does not leave unless a replacement is lined up. Franculino is one option. Burnley’s Zian Flemming is another under consideration.

Then there is the familiar name. Richarlison. The report claims the Brazilian “would jump at the chance” to return, with Tottenham weighing up a sale. Sentiment alone cannot drive a move at this level, but the idea of a proven, emotionally connected forward walking back into Goodison would send a jolt through the fanbase and the dressing room alike.

Right-back: the long-running problem

Some positions become background noise at a club. At Everton, right-back has been that nagging, unresolved issue. Internally, it has been viewed as one of the most pressing needs for months, and nothing about this window has changed that.

TeamTalk describe a new right-back as one of Everton’s top priorities. Strasbourg’s Guela Doue has been the preferred target for some time, and Everton have made multiple approaches for the Ivorian international. The problem? He has been holding out for Champions League football.

Now Paris Saint-Germain are being mentioned. That alters the landscape. Everton can’t afford to sit at the table too long if the player’s eyes are wandering elsewhere. At some point, you walk away.

Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz sits firmly among the alternatives and remains under serious consideration. Valued at around £25million, with Palace open to offers, he brings a different appeal: ready-made, Premier League tested, and without the Champions League tug-of-war. The fee is not insignificant, but neither is the hole in Everton’s squad.

Building depth on the flanks and at the heart

On the left, the logic is simpler but no less important. Everton want competition for Vitaliy Mykolenko and more balance over a long, attritional season. Nice defender Melvin Bard is one of the options being assessed. No grand statement, just a necessary piece in a squad that has too often been one injury away from imbalance.

At centre-back, the dominoes may fall late. Movement in that area is expected to hinge on outgoings. TeamTalk report that Everton look set to make a late move for a new central defender because Jake O’Brien could leave before the deadline. The stance mirrors the Beto situation: no exit without a replacement.

Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Sunderland are all mentioned as possible destinations for O’Brien. If one of those clubs firm up their interest, Everton will have to react quickly to avoid leaving Moyes short in a position that defines stability.

A window with a clear idea

What stands out in all of this is the shape of the strategy. This is not a club blindly scrambling through the bargain bin in the final week. The targets align with a clear idea: more reliability, more athleticism, more competition in key zones.

A striker to sharpen the attack. Two full-backs to modernise the flanks. A centre-back to lock in depth. It makes football sense.

Franculino is the wildcard with serious upside. If Beto departs and Everton replace him with a 22-year-old who has 58 goals in 115 games and room to grow, it sends a very different message to the league than yet another short-term fix.

The right-back chase feels the most urgent. If Guela Doue is waiting on the Champions League, Everton cannot afford to be passengers in his decision-making. Munoz offers a cleaner route: pay the fee, plug the gap, move on.

This has the feel of a window that is still one decisive burst away from being transformed. Everton have started well on the pitch. Now comes the test off it: will they turn that early momentum into a stronger, deeper squad by deadline day, or look back in October wondering if they hesitated at the wrong moment?