The situation at Goodison Park has left the club with minimal options in several key positions following a turbulent transfer window.
The sale of several first-team players on deadline day, including Iliman Ndiaye, last season’s leading scorer Beto, Tim Iroegbunam and Nathan Patterson, generated in excess of £100million for the club.
Adam Aznou was also sent out on loan, while a late move for USA World Cup defender Folarin Balogun from Monaco failed to materialise.
The consequence is that the current first-team squad now contains only one recognised centre-forward, one left-back and one right-back, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles having only recently arrived to fill the defensive vacancy.
The sole remaining striker, Thierno Barry, featured in every competitive match for the club during the 2025/26 campaign, matching the record of James Garner, who was named Player of the Season.
However, the respective playing time of the two players differed significantly.
Barry accumulated 2,066 minutes of action and found the net eight times, operating in something of a rotation arrangement with Beto.
Garner, by contrast, totalled 3,714 minutes across the same competitions.
With no direct replacement available for Barry, a former Everton midfielder has identified a potential solution.
Tyrique George, a wide player who made the switch from Chelsea, could offer cover in the forward position.
The 18-year-old initially arrived on loan at Hill Dickinson Stadium before completing a permanent move worth £18million on July 6.
During his time with the west London club, George contributed six goals in 37 appearances.
He opened his account for Everton with an impressive strike in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United on September 6, 2026.
Pat Nevin, who departed Stamford Bridge for Goodison Park in 1988 for £925,000 and went on to make 150 appearances for the club over four years, scoring 21 goals, has suggested George possesses the qualities required to operate as a central striker.
Nevin indicated that George is developing well at his new club and appears suited to the role.
While acknowledging that George is a natural finisher, Nevin expressed the view that his long-term future lies in a wide position.
The former midfielder noted that George has earned considerable confidence within the squad and possesses the ability to achieve special things at the club.
Nevin observed that the home supporters responded to George more favourably than any other player on the day, with the obvious exception of Jack Grealish, who has become a firm favourite among the fanbase.