David Moyes warns Everton remain short despite Preston victory

David Moyes walked off the Deepdale pitch with a 4-0 win in his pocket and a problem still on his mind. Everton had just cruised into the next round of the Carabao Cup at Preston North End, but the manager’s thoughts were already back on the transfer market.

“I still think we’re short in the squad,” he said, bluntly. Six days left of the window. Plenty still to do.

Numbers that don’t add up for Moyes

Everton have brought in five players this summer. On paper, that sounds like a busy window. In reality, Moyes counts it differently.

Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl both finished last season on loan at Goodison Park. To him, they are continuations, not fresh faces. That leaves three genuine additions: Hayden Hackney, Christian Norgaard and Brennan Johnson.

Set those against the exits and the picture looks thinner. Seamus Coleman and Idrissa Gueye have gone at the end of their contracts. Dwight McNeil has departed as part of the deal that brought Johnson in from Crystal Palace. Jack Grealish’s loan has expired. For Moyes, that arithmetic is simple: he believes Everton are one player down on last season – and that was already one of the smallest squads in the Premier League.

Asked directly at Deepdale if he still needed more signings, he didn’t hesitate.

“I think we definitely need to continue to make additions, that's for sure,” he said. “We thought our squad was quite thin last year and at the moment, I think we're still one down, if my numbers work out.

“We're one down from where we were even last year. So I still think we're short in the squad. I still think we're short in quality in some places. I need to try and add that.”

The scoreline in Preston didn’t disguise anything. It just underlined how much more depth he wants.

Right-back hunt and Grealish question

One problem position refuses to go away. Everton are still searching for a right-back. Nathan Patterson is the only specialist in the squad, yet the club do not see him as the long-term solution to a problem that has dragged on for years.

That leaves a gap that needs filling before the window shuts.

The Grealish situation hangs over the window as well. Everton remain in contact with Manchester City and the player’s camp over a possible return for the playmaker after his loan last season. He has other admirers now, with clubs such as Aston Villa and Sunderland circling, but Everton have not stepped away.

If Moyes wants more quality in the final third, Grealish is the obvious answer. Whether he gets him back is another matter entirely.

Futures in the balance

Behind the comfortable win, several squad stories are bubbling away.

Beto’s future looks uncertain. He stayed on the bench for the full 90 minutes at Preston and, at full-time, handed his shirt to a supporter. It felt like a gesture with a question mark attached, even if no decision has been announced.

Patterson and Beto are not alone in entering a key spell. Carlos Alcaraz and Tim Iroegbunam are also in the final year of their contracts, though some of those deals include club options to extend. Everton are open to outgoings if the right offers arrive. The squad needs trimming in some areas and reinforcing in others. It’s a delicate balance, and time is short.

O’Brien stays in Moyes’ plans

Jake O’Brien’s name has also surfaced in the churn of speculation. The centre-back did not feature against Preston and reports have suggested Everton might be willing to listen to offers.

Moyes pushed back on that idea.

“Just the same,” he said when asked about O’Brien’s situation. “No problem, I’ve chosen at the moment not to use him, but he’ll be used in plenty of games, no doubt.”

No public shop window. No falling-out. Just a manager rotating and, for now, looking elsewhere. O’Brien, Moyes insists, still has a role to play this season.

The message from Deepdale was clear. The performance was emphatic. The scoreline was comfortable. But Moyes is not fooled by one good night in August. He wants more bodies, more quality, and more options before the window slams shut.

Everton have six days to turn that demand into reality.