'We need to do more' - David Moyes calls for more Everton signings and responds to Grealish speculation

Everton manager Moyes has broken his silence on the club's recruitment drive, admitting that the current squad remains incomplete despite a busy start to the summer. Speaking in his first major interview of the pre-season period, the Scotsman was candid about the scale of the task facing the Merseysiders as they look to improve on last season's 13th-place finish.

"We’re still needing quite a few players to add to the squad. I’d like to do more if possible, we need to see how the remaining few weeks go," Moyes told Sky Sports in a frank assessment of the current situation. With the deadline approaching, quite a few more signings are still being targeted by the Goodison Park outfit to satisfy the manager's tactical requirements.

Everton have already committed significant funds during this window, with an estimated expenditure of around £74m on fresh faces. This includes the permanent acquisitions of Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl, both of whom spent time at the club on loan last term.

They have been joined by Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard, and Brennan Johnson, the latter arriving as part of a high-profile swap deal that saw Dwight McNeil head in the opposite direction. Moyes expressed satisfaction with these additions but acknowledged that some will need time to find their feet in their new surroundings.

Analyzing his new recruits, the 63-year-old noted: "I’m pleased with the players we’ve brought in. You have to remember that two of them were already here last year, so we’ve just made them permanent. I think it will take Hayden a little bit of time to adapt from the Championship to the Premier League, which quite often it does with players coming from the Championship."

A persistent issue for Everton has been the right-back position, a role that Moyes has been desperate to fill for over a year. Despite identifying this as a priority as far back as the winter window, the club has yet to secure a long-term solution.

When pushed on which specific areas he is currently looking to bolster, the former West Ham and Manchester United boss remained elusive, preferring to keep his cards close to his chest to avoid alerting rival clubs to his specific plans during the final weeks of the market. "I’m not going to tell you. But we’re well aware of what’s required and we’re working hard to try and make it happen."

One name that continues to be linked with a return to Everton is Jack Grealish, who spent a productive loan spell at the club during the 2025/26 season. The England international recently featured for Manchester City in their Community Shield defeat against Arsenal, and Moyes was naturally asked if there was any prospect of bringing the creative midfielder back to Merseyside.

He remained disciplined when the subject of the winger was raised, refusing to offer any encouragement to those hoping for a sensational return. "No, not at the moment. It’s not for me to talk, Jack’s a player at Man City and I don’t think it’s right to talk about players at other clubs," Moyes insisted.