David Moyes knows what to do after what Vitalii Mykolenko did in Everton vs Stoke City

David Moyes may have concerns with Vitalii Mykolenko heading into Everton's 2026-27 campaign.

The Toffees are far from finished with their transfer business this summer, but have made good progress on a couple of fronts.

Defence is still an area that has yet to be addressed, with the full-back spots still worrying some.

A right-back has been a top priority for Moyes, but Mykolenko's continued performances in left-back have made for a split opinion.

The Ukrainian featured for the Blues in their 1-0 pre-season defeat to Stoke City on Tuesday, and didn't have a good game to say the least.

Mykolenko was hooked two minutes after Stoke scored, and Moyes may now know what's best for Everton.

David Moyes surely knows competition needed for Vitalii Mykolenko

Everton fans that tuned in to watch the Toffees lose to Championship side Stoke will have seen just how poor Mykolenko was.

The 27-year-old was nutmegged easily in a dangerous possession, as seen in the video clip on X below, while his overall positioning and defending was poor for the hour that he was on the pitch.

The bad news for Moyes is that the Toffees have tied him down to a new deal, but the good news is that the window is still open.

Goodison News understands that Neco Williams has been looked at by Everton, a player who has primarily played at left-back recently.

While a deal for the Welsh international is most likely off the cards, it shows that the Toffees have had signing competition for Mykolenko in mind this summer.

Perhaps the loss to Stoke was a reality check for Moyes, who may now know that he needs to request further reinforcements in the position.

Mykolenko has been on Merseyside for five seasons now, and there's a reason why this campaign could be make or break for him.

Mykolenko regression shows Moyes' need for cover

Mykolenko's average performances in the Premier League have regressed over the last three seasons.

His FotMob rating last season was 6.8, with his score at 6.9 the year before and 7.1 in the 2023-24 campaign.

Despite added experience, Mykolenko only seems to be getting worse in the top flight. Perhaps it's the rate at which the Premier League is growing in quality and competitiveness.

While signing a new left-back won't be a top priority as such, Mykolenko's continued performances will be monitored, as a big decision could be made before the end of the window.