Everton Reach £28m Deal for Dewsbury-Hall

Everton have reached an agreement to sign Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, with the deal valued at approximately £28 million. The structure involves an initial £24 million payment, followed by potential add-ons between £3 million and £4 million. The 26-year-old is set to negotiate personal terms and complete a medical, despite a late approach from Fulham.

After a year in a squad role during Chelsea’s campaign that saw them lift the Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League—while also sealing a return to the Champions League—Dewsbury-Hall was hesitant to depart initially. But Chelsea were prepared to sanction the move as they work to recover a substantial portion of the £30 million they paid to sign him from Leicester City in 2024. That transfer had reunited him with Enzo Maresca, who had also swapped the Foxes for west London.

Everton, meanwhile, are also in talks with Southampton over winger Tyler Dibling, 19, but may withdraw interest if Southampton refuse to lower their asking price after rejecting a second bid.

David Moyes gave a clue about expected activity in his final media appearance during the Premier League Summer Series: “I think there’ll be deals next week. I think we’re getting much closer, but I felt that four or five weeks ago as well. Obviously, we’re getting near the tickly bits and we’ve got to get some things done.”

Chelsea are clearing space in their squad post the arrival of defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax. French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, 21, is finalising a switch to Burnley, who also remain in significant discussions for forward Armando Broja. Talks have reopened with Borussia Dortmund about midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, as Chelsea continue their efforts to downsize the squad.

Dewsbury-Hall had struggled to secure game time at Stamford Bridge despite his familiarity with Maresca’s style. After a standout season in Leicester’s promotion-winning side, he had stayed loyal to the Foxes, even turning down Brighton. But with Leicester eager to secure funds under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, they accepted a deal with Chelsea, which included academy midfielder Michael Golding going the other way.

Once at Chelsea, Dewsbury-Hall found himself behind Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Enzo Fernandez. He made just two Premier League starts, though he scored four times in Chelsea’s successful Conference League campaign. One of his key contributions came in the final in May, when his assist off the bench set up Jadon Sancho in a 4-1 win over Real Betis.

In the Club World Cup, mostly used as a substitute, he still managed to get on the scoresheet in a 4-1 semi-final win over Benfica, followed by playing in the 3-0 final win over PSG. While he had flashes of effectiveness, he became one of several players to depart Stamford Bridge within a year of arrival.

The sale of Dewsbury-Hall is a strategic piece in Chelsea’s efforts to stay compliant with UEFA’s financial control regulations. The ruling body has stated that players from last season’s Conference League squad must be sold to achieve a “positive transfer balance”—a requirement if Chelsea are to register new arrivals like Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Liam Delap for Champions League action by September.

On the recruitment front, Chelsea continue talks with RB Leipzig regarding Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons.