With January nearing and the transfer window about to open, the rumors are beginning to fly fast and furious. As always, there are levels of reliability here, and so looking out for repeated connections is key.
One rumor that has persisted since the summer relates to Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who continues to be subjected to cameo appearances for Ruben Amorim's side.
After making his Premier League starting debut for United, against Everton at Goodison Park no less, Mainoo started 32 of 38 matches for the 2023/24 season. Those starts fell to 27 out of 41 last season, but he's begun in Amorim's initial XI for one single match this year.
The Englishman turned 20 in April and would be highly sought after by teams both in England and abroad if United made him available. He's shown the ability to play across three midfield positions, although you'd think the no.6 role would be most interesting to Everton.
There's no indication as to whether or not Mainoo would be allowed to leave in January, since Amorim has indicated his desire for the midfielder to fight for a place in the side.
But at this point in his career, it feels like he just needs time on the pitch, so maybe a loan would work out for United. It is unlikely they'd look to move him permanently given his age.
If Everton are going to get involved in fighting for his signature, it only makes sense if David Moyes is going to actually put him to use. The manager has been inconsistent in his usage of young players during this spell at Everton, with players like Adam Aznou and Tyler Dibling out of favor entirely while Moyes gets a great deal out of Thierno Barry and Merlin Röhl, although the latter pair is four years older than the former.
There's a place for Mainoo in this Everton side, but Moyes must commit to allowing him to grow on the job, something he doesn't seem interested in doing with Aznou in particular, and is only leaning into Dibling due to injuries and international duty.
If Mainoo is just going to come and sit on the bench, then Everton should aim its sights elsewhere, since he might as well stay in Manchester if that is the case.
But if Moyes can work out a plan to implement him, then convincing him to join, even on loan, could be a major boon for Everton in January.