Credit: Imago

Chris Smith

Tue 19 August 2025 15:34, UK

Everton look set to intensify their interest in Southampton talent Tyler Dibling after being alerted to rival interest from within the Premier League.

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The Toffees have already signed the likes of Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry this summer.

However, their need for further reinforcements was laid bare on Monday night, as they managed just one shot on target during a 1-0 defeat at Leeds United to open the new season.

Dibling has been a major target for Everton this summer, but now, they must step up their efforts.

Dibling in 2024/25 (Credit: Imago)

According to talkSPORT (19 August), Dibling has emerged as a potential target for Crystal Palace to replace Eberechi Eze.

Palace are understood to have reached a verbal agreement with Tottenham for the transfer of Eze – whose departure will hit hard given he’s registered 40 goals and 28 assists for them in 169 appearances since joining from QPR in 2020, including the winning strike in last season’s FA Cup final.

The Eagles want to sign a replacement for Eze before he leaves the club, meaning they could move quickly to secure Dibling — who notched four goals and three assists in 38 appearances for Southampton last season, but has played just eight minutes for them this campaign amid speculation over his future.

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Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan has also emerged as a potential target to replace Eze at Selhurst Park, and Everton will hope to push Palace in that direction to clear their path for Dibling.

If they’re to do that, however, they must move through the gears, having already seen multiple bids rejected for the 19-year-old.

Former Everton chief Keith Wyness recently backed the Toffees to get the Dibling deal completed, telling Football Insider they could even sign the teenager for below the £40million they most recently offered.

David Moyes needs major upgrades in attack (Credit: Imago)

Football Insider verdict

The race for Dibling is about to heat up again, but is it the right move for Everton or Crystal Palace?

Dibling is undoubtedly talented and was a rare ray of light in what was a miserable campaign for Southampton.

However, he is still just 19 years old and with very little experience or end product to show in the Premier League, registering just two goals and one assist in 33 top-flight performances so far.

Malick Fofana and Takefusa Kubo are two much more proven options linked with Everton right now.

Meanwhile, though Hwang’s 2024/25 campaign was disrupted by injury, his 13-goal haul from the season prior is still fresh in the memory.

Both sides currently have more established options available to them, so while investing in top young talents is smart, Everton and Palace — the former with an immensely demanding fanbase and the latter playing European football — might make their decisions based on staying competitive in the immediate term.

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