Everton could have saved £10m in the summer on ‘unplayable’ Tyler Dibling alternative
Everton took a huge risk after signing Tyler Dibling for £40million in the summer when someone better was available for £10m less.
Dibling became Everton’s second most expensive purchase of all-time with his £40m switch from Southampton, and so far, the 19-year-old hasn’t lived up to his lofty expectations.
The teenager has been granted more playing time by David Moyes since Iliman Ndiaye jetted off on AFCON duty, but to say he hasn’t taken the opportunity would be an understatement.
Dibling’s poor performance against Brentford and subsequent half-time substitution followed lacklustre displays in the draw at Burnley and the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
As a result, The Friedkin Group may be cursing the decision to sign the Englishman when another Championship superstar was available.
Everton should have signed Abdul Fatawu for £30m instead of Tyler Dibling
Everton have a long-standing interest in Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu, and when the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League, there was talk of him moving to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Fatawu was available to sign for £30m, according to reports, and that is £10m less than what they paid for Dibling.
The Friedkin Group had an opportunity to sign the talented Ghanaian, but refused to meet Leicester’s asking price and instead captured Dibling.
That is looking like a terrible decision by all accounts, as Fatawu has torn the Championship apart since recovering from the ACL injury that saw him miss the final 27 matches of their top-flight campaign.
WOW.
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 5, 2026
Take a bow, Abdul Fatawu! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0igrGay0io
Including five goals and seven assists in 26 appearances, the 21-year-old has collected a catalogue of wonder goals, scoring sensationally from the halfway line against Ipswich Town and a cannon of a volley to secure his side a last-gasp win over West Brom on Monday night.
Combining electric pace, the capacity to produce the spectacular, and brilliant creative attributes, Fatawu is developing into the complete winger, and Moyes may regret not signing him instead of Dibling.
How Fatawu compares to Dibling
There is an acceptance among Everton fans that Dibling arguably isn’t ready to play regular first-team football in the Premier League, whereas Fatawu is, and his stats showcase why.
When comparing the two players’ respective stats across the past year, it’s clear that Fatawu has the beating of the Toffees youngster.
| Abdul Fatawu | Stats per 90 | Tyler Dibling |
| 0.21 | Non-penalty goals | 0 |
| 2.81 | Shots total | 1.05 |
| 4.42 | Progressive carries | 2.62 |
| 2.72 | Successful take-ons | 2.44 |
| 3.18 | Progressive passes | 2.27 |
| 1.61 | Fouls drawn | 2.09 |
The above statistics will be skewed by Dibling’s lack of first-team football of late and the fact the Leicester phenom is playing in the second tier, but the data still implies Everton got the decision wrong.
Fatawu has been lauded as ‘unplayable’ in the past with his powerful ball-carrying and unstoppable dribbling, two attributes Moyes requires to complement the likes of Jack Grealish and Ndiaye.