David Moyes Confirms Everton's Need for a Right-Back

David Moyes insists Everton still want a specialist right-back before the transfer window closes – even if his makeshift options keep delivering.

The Everton manager has spent the week namechecking alternatives inside his own squad, highlighting Nathan Patterson, Merlin Rohl, James Garner and Jake O’Brien as players who can cover the role. They helped him patch things up in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. They have not solved the problem.

Moyes is clear: he does not want to keep robbing Peter to pay Paul.

“We definitely would like a right-back. We would,” he said, underlining the priority. The issue for him is not just about one position, but the domino effect it has on the rest of his team.

On Saturday, that tension was obvious. Rohl started at right-back and impressed again, carrying his promising pre-season form into the Premier League opener. Yet Moyes’ mind was already on what he was losing elsewhere.

“For example today, while we're playing Merlin right back, I couldn't play him in midfield as well,” he explained. “So, today keeps me short of numbers in midfield, and I'm having to balance a little bit of what we want.”

That balance has defined Everton’s summer. Rohl has shown he can handle the flank, but Moyes sees more than a stopgap in the 21-year-old.

“He is keen to do well and show us that he could be a right-back, Merlin. And because of that, we're happy,” Moyes said. “He can play other roles for us, which means that we can play him further forward, we can play them in different ways. He's got a different sort of level of athleticism to some of the other boys in some ways. And he's a good footballer, generally, and he can score if we get him closer to the goal. But he's also doing okay.”

The message is mixed but deliberate: Rohl is valuable, versatile, and progressing – but Everton still want more in that area.

The same goes for Jake O’Brien. Moyes praised the defender’s ability to step across when required, especially against pace.

“Look, we can still play Jake O’Brien at right-back,” he said. “He's proved, certainly against a lot of the quick boys, that he's really good and he'll give us something if we need it in that position. But he prefers to be a centre back.”

So when the manager is asked why Everton are so intent on signing another right-back, he turns the question back on the room.

“Everybody's talking about a right-back, so I'm saying, well, I hope it's better than Jake O’Brien, I hope it's better than Merlin Rohl and what they're offering,” he said. “And obviously, we're always trying to get better than what we've got - in every position to be truthful. You're always, as a manager, you're trying and it's not that easy to just go and get yourself better than those two.”

That is the crux of Everton’s window. The club are not scrambling for any body to fill a shirt; they are searching for someone who can genuinely upgrade what has unexpectedly become a competitive area.

Rohl’s pre-season has changed the conversation. His performances have earned Moyes’ trust and, crucially, his opportunity.

“Merlin in pre-season played really well. He certainly deserves the chance to play,” Moyes said.

Everton now walk a fine line: reward the players who have stepped up, or push hard for the specialist who might push them out of the way. The clock is ticking on the window. The right-back question is not going away.