How Everton's £16.5m Summer Signing and Youth Movement Overcame Pre-Match Squad Drama

 Everton navigated potentially turbulent waters ahead of their EFL Cup fourth-round clash against Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Preparations were disrupted when it emerged that 31-year-old loan winger Jack Grealish had been left out of the matchday squad following an unauthorized absence from training. With a quarter-final fixture against League Two side Fleetwood awaiting the victor, the setback threatened to destabilize a club desperate to end a 31-year trophy drought.

Instead of faltering, David Moyes' younger contingent seized the moment. Summer acquisition Hayden Hackney delivered a commanding midfield display to lead the Toffees into the next round. The 24-year-old, who arrived from Middlesbrough in a £16.5 million deal, set up James Garner's opening strike before doubling Everton's advantage with a clinical close-range volley to seal the victory over a strong Newcastle side.

Hackney's standout performance marked only the second time in his career that he registered both a goal and an assist in a single match. Despite limited starting opportunities prior to Thursday—having only featured in the starting XI for the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace and a third-round cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers—the 2025–26 Championship player of the year controlled the tempo effectively. During his final season in the second tier, Hackney ranked first among midfielders for progressive carries (12.7 per game) and final-third passes completed (23.1 per game), alongside second in opponent-half passes (37.3) and third in overall completed passes (57.3).

Despite the victory, manager David Moyes maintained a measured perspective on the midfielder's display. Moyes noted that while Hackney offered strong attacking threat and executed his goal well, transitioning Championship recruits into the Premier League requires patience, highlighting instances where the player was caught on the ball. The manager also praised striker Thierno Barry for providing the assist on Hackney's goal.

The performance underscored a wider structural shift within the Merseyside squad. Since returning to the helm in January 2025, Moyes has signed 10 players on permanent contracts, seven of whom were aged 24 or under at the time of their arrival. These transfers include Tyler Dibling (£35m), Thierno Barry (£27.5m), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£24m), Tyrique George (£18m), Merlin Röhl (£17.3m), Hackney (£16.5m), Carlos Alcaraz (£12.6m), Adam Aznou (£7.8m), Mark Travers (£4m), and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£3m), alongside Grealish's seasonal loan.

Barry, a 24-year-old France Under-21 international signed from Villarreal in July 2025, has shouldered substantial responsibility as Everton's sole specialist center-forward. Having accumulated 918 minutes across every match this season, Barry has already netted seven goals—just one shy of his total tally from the previous campaign despite playing 30 fewer matches. Furthermore, the forward has been directly involved in 15 of Everton's 24 created big chances (62.5%).

Everton's overall reliance on younger talent has increased substantially. The average age of the starting lineup in Premier League fixtures has decreased by nearly 18 months to 26 years and 216 days. Following the departure of veteran midfielder Idrissa Gueye, players aged 24 and under have logged significantly higher workload percentages compared to the previous campaign:

• Harrison Armstrong (19, CM): Increased from 528 minutes (15%) in 2025–26 to 688 minutes (97%) in 2026–27.

• Thierno Barry (24, CF): Maintained heavy usage from 1,915 minutes (56%) to 685 minutes (95%).

• Jarrad Branthwaite (24, CB): Rose from 681 minutes (20%) to 630 minutes (88%).

• Tyrique George (20, LW): Increased from 210 minutes (17%) to 461 minutes (64%).

• Merlin Röhl (24, CM/RB): Grew from 677 minutes (20%) to 431 minutes (60%).

• Tyler Dibling (20, RW): Recorded 46 minutes (6%) following 350 minutes (10%) last term.

• Carlos Alcaraz (23, AM): Logged 13 minutes (2%) following 685 minutes (20%) last season.

This systemic pivot is equally evident among the squad's youngest figures. Players aged 21 or under logged 1,088 combined minutes throughout the entire 2025–26 Premier League season—a total already surpassed this term with 1,206 minutes. Nineteen-year-old midfielder Harrison Armstrong, who spent part of last season on loan at Preston North End, has established himself as a fixed presence by starting every league match this season.

Other key contributors include 20-year-old winger Tyrique George, who secured a permanent move from Chelsea after a brief loan spell and scored his first Everton goal against Manchester United in September, and 24-year-old Merlin Röhl, who has adapted to fill Everton's vacant right-back slot ahead of experienced options like Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Meanwhile, £35m arrival Tyler Dibling provided valuable attacking impetus off the flank during Thursday's cup victory.

While senior figures such as James Tarkowski (33), Jordan Pickford (32), and Dewsbury-Hall (28) remain foundational to the team's core, the emerging core proved capable of driving results under pressure. As Everton prepare to face Newcastle again at St James' Park in Premier League action on Monday, Moyes declined to confirm whether Grealish will be reinstated to the matchday squad, leaving the door open for the club's youth to feature prominently once more.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cm70pv70jwrjo