Credit: Breaking Media

Daniel Lewis

Wed 20 May 2026 7:10, UK

Everton winger Tyler Dibling has surely seen another path to a possible summer exit close up after Southampton were expelled from the Championship play-offs.

Dibling has endured an incredibly underwhelming debut campaign at Hill Dickinson Stadium since arriving for £40million last summer.

The England Under-21s international has started just four Premier League games for Everton this term and featured a further 10 times from the substitutes’ bench – and not at all since early March.

That has led to talk of a swift Merseyside exit, with Southampton talked up as one of the sides who could re-sign the right-sided attacker.

But news regarding the Saints in the past 24 hours or so has surely ended those hopes for Dibling ahead of the transfer window opening.

What next for Tyler Dibling at Everton?

It is quite clear that David Moyes simply does not fancy Dibling, even if supporters feel he should have been given more of a chance.

A Southampton return for Dibling would have made sense, even if on an initial loan for him to rebuild some confidence.

However, Southampton will now be staying in the Championship for at least another year – barring an appeal – after being expelled from the playoff final.

The Saints have been heavily punished for breaching EFL rules as they spied on playoff semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, who will now face Hull City in the Wembley final.

Dibling, hailed as “excellent” by then-boss Russell Martin in 2024, previously lit up the Premier League with Southampton.

Everton fans have yet to see the 20-year-old score or assist, though the fact he has been afforded just 371 Premier League minutes does not help.

The truth is that no team will pay anywhere near what Everton did for Dibling, so a loan exit is the only realistic option right now.

But it may be that Moyes gets a better chance to work with Dibling over the summer months and finally properly integrate him into his starting XI from August.

Even Angus Kinnear’s forgotten about Dibling

Everton fans are not happy with the way this season has petered out, with European football there for the taking.

Even CEO Angus Kinnear appeared to forget about Dibling being at the club when speaking in a recent interview.

Kinnear talked up the “immediate impact” made by Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, while saying Merlin Rohl and Thierno Barry “have showed potential they can be Everton starters”.

Dibling’s name was not mentioned even in passing, which pretty much sums up his situation right now.

All he can do is work hard on the training ground in the summer and hope his opportunity arrives next term.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.