The £50m Premier League star Everton must sign

If an interested suitor comes knocking with a £70m offer for Iliman Ndiaye, then in all likelihood, Everton would acquiesce and allow their maverick winger to leave.

There’s a sense of acceptance that it’s going to happen. Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal had positioned themselves to strike a deal, but the Senegalese wants to remain in the Premier League, where Arsenal and Manchester United are interested.

Everton have work to do before the summer transfer window slams shut, but David Moyes will at least be pleased with Hill Dickinson technical director Angus Kinnear’s success in swapping out Dwight McNeil for Crystal Palace’s Brennan Johnson.

Why Moyes can revive Brennan Johnson at Everton

It’s been a tough 12 months for Wales international Johnson, whose stock has plummeted. He left Tottenham and joined Crystal Palace for a club-record £35m fee in January, but after 26 appearances and no goals to show for it, has been moved on.

The Wales winger does provide a different kind of threat to McNeil, whose Everton career had spun out of control before he finally made the move to Crystal Palace.

Johnson might be out of sorts, but he is a flashy winger, ferocious on his day. Moreover, he is prolific, and that could see him end up a shrewd Ndiaye replacement indeed.

Johnson has enjoyed a few career high points, though. Notably, he scored the winning goal as Spurs defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final in 2025, chalking his name into Lilywhites history.

Football is unforgiving, though, and the 25-year-old was shipped on after that 18-goal season.

Johnson has the clinical ability to play a big part for Everton over the coming year(s). However, he has a lot to prove, and the Toffees could benefit from a more recognised superstar as they look to bounce back.

Johnson could be a shrewd signing. He has proved in the past that he has a natural edge in front of goal, but more is surely need to lift Everton back up – especially if Ndiaye is sold.

According to The i Paper, Everton and Jack Grealish are likely to reunite for the 2026/27 campaign, with the Toffees holding an expectation that a second loan spell can be agreed for the 30-year-old England playmaker.

Grealish joined Everton on loan last summer with a £50m option to buy, but his impressive campaign was cut short when he sustained a foot injury in January. He is eager to return to Merseyside, and Everton want to welcome him.

As far as wide profiles go in the Premier League, Grealish and Johnson are diametrically opposed. If Moyes can bring the Welshman back into form, Everton will have a clinical attacking outlet from the right wing, but Grealish’s technicality, physicality and creativity in the build-up marks him as a far more influential player.

After all, City paid £100m to bring him over from Aston Villa back in 2021, and he played a crucial part in a title-laden era, winning the treble in 2022/23.

It’s somewhat unfair to assess Johnson’s form from the recent Premier League campaign; he was horribly out of sorts. However, he failed to raise his game at Selhurst Park after falling by the wayside in north London, whereas Grealish latched onto his lifeline and pulled himself up to the limelight.

Everton might have struggled to keep their attacking blade sharp last season, but they also needed more skill and panache in wielding that weapon. That is to say, creativity and fluency when on the ball and pressing into space proved tricky at times, and Grealish would help change that.

Johnson, conversely, has shown that he has work to do in such areas, only completing 66% of his passes last season, of which he averaged 7.4 per game, which struggling to dribble and create with any kind of success.

If Everton are serious about closing the gap on those at the front of the Premier League, they will need to add more quality than Johnson alone will give them.

Grealish showed across the first half of the 2025/26 season that he has superstar quality within his laces, and Everton cannot allow this one to get away from them.