David Moyes 'will have triple problem' if Everton sign Dion Lopy

Everton are reportedly interested in signing Almeria midfielder Dion Lopy.

Lopy is a talented defensive midfielder who could be a superb signing for David Moyes, in a position where they need reinforcements.

Everton are threadbare in midfield but are close to signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Lopy could follow him to Merseyside.

With Almeria failing in their bid for promotion to La Liga, Lopy could end up moving, but if he does join the Toffees, they will face an additional problem later on.

Everton face AFCON issue

Lopy is a Senegal international, but he will not be the only one at the Hill Dickinson Stadium if he joins Everton.

Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye are also part of the Senegal national team, who are set to compete in the African Cup of Nations.

• The tournament will take place between December 20, 2025, and January 18, 2026.
• Senegal are expected to be one of the favourites to win the tournament.

With all three not only at the tournament, but all in similar positions in the same team, there is the potential for the trio to miss over a month of action together.

This would leave Moyes incredibly short in central options, with Ndiaye also capable of playing in midfield, and this would cause a big issue given the fixture congestion surrounding the winter period.

Everton face hectic winter schedule

Everton have six Premier League games scheduled within the dates of the tournament, and will also have an FA Cup tie at the start of January.

Should Senegal make it far, they will lose three key players from midfield for potentially all seven games, and will face Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in that time.

This may mean that Everton pursues a different defensive midfielder to Lopy, or also aims to sign another option on loan to supplement his potential arrival.

If Everton start the season poorly, that winter period will become even more important, and the danger is that the Toffees could crash out and go on a losing run without their extra steel in midfield.

Everton have moved fairly slowly in the transfer window so far, but are now stepping up their efforts to bring in more players before the season starts, in order to avoid unnecessary dropped points early on.

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