It's no surprise that Everton are looking to add to their midfield depth, even with the anticipated return of Idrissa Gana Gueye. The loss of Abdoulaye Doucoure means the Toffees have a potential starting role available and are seeking more goals out of the midfield.
That's why there's been a run on rumors surrounding midfield additions potentially heading to Merseyside to join Everton, the latest focused on Brighton & Hove Albion's Matt O'Riley.
The England-born Denmark international joined the Seagulls after two and a half seasons with Scottish giants Celtic, where he turned himself into a goal-scoring monster during his final campaign, a season that saw him knock in 18 goals and add 13 assists in 37 Scottish Premiership appearances and an additional three assists in six Champions League matches.
O'Riley's performance got him a move to the Premier League with Brighton, but he only featured in 21 matches (11 starts) for fewer than 1000 minutes in the league, scoring twice and dishing out two assists. Across the Seagulls' other competitions, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the UEFA Nations League, the midfielder played just ten total minutes.
Some of that is because of an ankle injury suffered during his club debut in late August, which required surgery and explains his lack of minutes, since he didn't return until late March.
Reports indicate that Brighton will not make it easy for O'Riley to leave, as they'll want to get as much of the £25 million they paid for him less than a year ago back from whoever they sell the player to.
David Moyes is said to like the player very much, but it remains to be seen if Brighton will sell him this summer, even if he is down the pecking order at the club.
It would be a good addition for Moyes and Everton for a player that doesn't turn 25 until November and will be looking to prove himself at the Premier League level.