Everton's Right-Back Wishlist Is Long on Names, Short on Certainty

Everton have been linked with three right-backs in one go, and that alone tells you where this story sits on the reliability scale. According to the latest instalment of The Athletic's deal sheet, the Toffees are monitoring Djed Spence at Tottenham, Ben White at Arsenal, and Guela Doue at Strasbourg for the right-back spot this summer.

That is not a confirmed pursuit of any one player. It is a snapshot of names on a scouting list, and the gap between being "on a list" and being "a target with a bid attached" is exactly where bettors and fans need to calibrate their expectations.

What The Athletic's Deal Sheet Actually Tells Us

A Running List, Not a Confirmed Approach

The Athletic's deal sheet format exists specifically to flag interest that has been picked up by reporters but not yet turned into formal talks. It is a useful early-warning system for genuine transfer activity, but it is also, by design, imprecise. Clubs monitor dozens of players at every position across a window; only a fraction ever become concrete targets, let alone signings.

The wording used here is instructive. The snippet says Everton "are interested in" Spence as "one of the options they are looking at", with White "also on that list". That is shortlist language, not negotiation language.

The De Zerbi Mix-Up That Undercuts Confidence

There is a further wrinkle worth flagging. The report references Spence not being "too essential to Roberto De Zerbi's squad", despite De Zerbi having no managerial connection to Tottenham whatsoever. It is a basic factual slip, and it matters here because it is a useful reminder of how loosely some deal-sheet-driven content is assembled and republished before being tightened up.

Everton are interested in Spurs defender Djed Spence, one of the options they are looking at for the right-back spot. Arsenal's Ben White is also on that list, as well as Guela Doue, though the Strasbourg defender is likely to be too expensive.

Readers should treat this as an early indicator of Everton's summer priorities at right-back, not as evidence that any deal is close.

Djed Spence vs Ben White: Comparing Everton's Real Options

Strip away Doue, and the shortlist really comes down to two players with very different risk profiles.

Spence's Stalled Spurs Career

Spence joined Tottenham from Middlesbrough in 2022 but has never nailed down a regular starting role since, enduring loan spells and inconsistent game time along the way. What changes the calculus this summer is his surprise involvement with England at the World Cup, a development that has sharply raised his profile even as his club situation has stagnated.

That combination, resurgent international standing paired with a stalled domestic role, is precisely the profile that makes a player available at a reasonable fee. Spurs have been busy spenders already this summer, and a squad player who is not essential to their plans becomes a logical candidate to move on.

White's Uncertain Arsenal Role

White's situation at Arsenal is different in nature but similar in outcome: uncertainty over his long-term role under Mikel Arteta amid genuine competition for the right-back slot. He arrives with more Premier League pedigree and a track record of regular top-flight starts, which typically means a higher valuation and a tougher negotiation.

• Djed Spence: lower profile fee expected, versatile across both full-back positions, England recognition, but inconsistent minutes at club level
• Ben White: higher wage and fee likely, proven Premier League regular, but Arsenal may be reluctant to sell a squad player to a rival unless the price is right

For Everton, the practical question is which player offers the better combination of price, guaranteed minutes, and squad fit. Spence's versatility, he has filled in at both right-back and left-back for Spurs, arguably makes him the more useful acquisition for a club still shaping its squad rather than completing it.

Why Guela Doue Is Likely a Non-Starter

Strasbourg's Rising Asking Price

The Athletic's own snippet does the work here: Doue is described as "likely to be too expensive". Strasbourg have shown little appetite to let key defenders leave cheaply in recent windows, and a rising French talent with interest from elsewhere in Europe is not the kind of asset a club sells at a discount.

Including Doue's name in the same breath as Spence and White is useful context for understanding the breadth of Everton's scouting, but it is not a realistic signing given the financial gap already acknowledged in the report itself. That leaves the shortlist functionally down to two.

What This Says About Everton's Summer Strategy

New Ownership, New Ambition

Everton's transfer approach has shifted noticeably since securing new financial backing, moving away from the survival-mode dealings of recent seasons toward a rebuild with genuine ambition. Casting a wide net across three right-backs rather than fixating on one name fits a club trying to identify value across multiple positions before committing resources.

The Full-Back Position as a Priority

Strengthening the full-back areas has been flagged as a clear priority, and monitoring three players at once, rather than one, suggests Everton are keeping options open on price and availability rather than locking into a single pursuit early. That is consistent with the club's recent history of loan-and-see strategies, testing fit before fully committing.

None of this confirms a transfer is imminent. It confirms Everton are doing their homework, which is exactly what a deal sheet snippet is designed to show.

What Happens Next

Expect more clarity as the summer window progresses and as Tottenham and Arsenal finalise their own squad plans. Spence's situation may resolve first, given Spurs' active spending elsewhere in the market suggests they could move quickly to cash in on a player who is not central to their plans.

White's situation likely takes longer to develop, tied to how Arsenal's own right-back plans firm up under Arteta. Everton fans should watch for genuine reporting of contact or bid activity, rather than shortlist mentions, before treating either move as anything more than speculative.

For now, the sensible reading is that Everton have identified a need at right-back and are weighing realistic options against price and opportunity, with Spence looking the more attainable and versatile fit of the two credible names on the list.