Everton are currently thought to be the frontrunners to sign the Juventus star, who is prepared to accept an offer to leave Turin this summer.
Pressure on Moyes to keep Everton’s European hopes alive
The Toffees almost ended Man City’s title hopes on Monday, but David Moyes’ side were ultimately defeated.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Jeremy Doku curled the ball into the top corner to make it 3-3, depriving Everton of one of their achievements of the season.
The Belgian winger summed up an absolutely extraordinary second half at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, scoring the opener with a superb finish in the first half before scoring twice deep in stoppage time to deny Moyes a famous victory.
What unfolded during that time was astonishing.
City dominated possession for the first 45 minutes and were in the lead at the end of the second half, but Everton completely turned the game around, conceding three goals in the nine minutes of the second half.
Tierno Barry pounced on Marc Guehi’s terrifying backpass to equalize, and moments later Jake O’Brien put Everton ahead with a header from a corner, with Barry finishing off the game with a quick counter to make it 3-1 and the home fans already jubilant.
Nottingham Forest, Everton and Coventry compete to sign the division’s Player of the Year
He just had a really great season.
It felt complete, deserved, and huge. Then Haaland struck. Then Doc attacked again.
In the space of eight minutes, the stadium went from elation to disbelief.
Afterwards, Moyes gave a frank assessment, admitting that the point against City was not a big deal, but citing the fact that they conceded so many goals as the main reason they couldn’t keep going.
The Toffees were also furious at a penalty that never materialized when Bernardo Silva appeared to grab Merlin Rolle in a corner, but VAR refused to act on the incident.
If that had been given and converted, the story of this match would certainly have been much different.
Everton currently sit in 10th place with 48 points, with three games remaining and three points behind sixth-placed Brighton.
This game and last weekend’s defeat to West Ham meant they lost four points with just a few minutes remaining. Had they accumulated these points, the club would have been squarely in the European conversation with just a game left.
European soccer remains a mathematical possibility. But now the margin for error is much smaller.
However, its performance was enough to attract attention.
Behind the scenes, Moyes and his recruitment team have been quietly laying the foundations for a summer that could shape what this club becomes.
Everton emerge as favorites to sign Federico Gatti from Juventus
According to TuttoSport, relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have been tracking Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti for several months and are currently at the front of the queue for his signature.
The 27-year-old Italy international is expected to leave the Allianz Stadium this summer after falling out of manager Luciano Spalletti’s favor. He has barely featured in Juventus’ Serie A starting lineup in 2026, as he recovered from a lingering injury around the start of the year.
Although he scored the decisive goal against Roma in March, his situation at the club has not improved and it seems he is open to leaving if the right offer is made.
A months-long pursuit gives Everton a real head start over Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, both of whom are considering a move for the player, with Fulham also monitoring the situation.
A fee of between £17m and £22m is understood to be good enough to do business, a relatively modest outlay for a defender who brings Italy international experience and formidable aerial ability in defensive situations.
He’s not without his weaknesses either.
The “humble” Gatti, who was a bricklayer just seven years ago, is not known for his ability with the ball at his feet, and his limitations have drawn criticism throughout his career.
However, his strength, physicality and leadership qualities have been consistently demonstrated in high-pressure moments for both club and country, and he represents exactly the type of person Everton need if they are to qualify for Europe next season.
At the asking price, its value is hard to argue with.
Everton need to win their remaining three games to keep their European dreams alive, but whatever happens in the final weeks of the campaign, the summer is already taking shape.
Everton in talks to re-sign former star wanted by ‘half of the Premier League’
The Toffees are hoping to bring their high-profile player back to Merseyside.
