Everton's cash windfall revealed as Stan Mills joins Preston North End

Ex-Everton youngster Stan Mills has secured another big move in his young career.

Joining Everton from Leeds United in the summer of 2021, Mills was a highly-rated academy prospect with the Toffees.

Indeed, he penned his first professional contract on Merseyside in July 2022, and was part of the first-team's pre-season tour of America that summer.

However, he would only go on to make four competitive career appearances in Everton's senior side, before leaving in the summer of 2023.

The versatile winger would join Oxford United on loan on an initial short-team deal, before signing for the U's permanently in January last year.

And so, after an impressive 2025-26 campaign on an individual level, the 22-year-old has bagged himself a move back to the Championship.

What size sell-on clause did Everton have in Stan Mills' Oxford contract?

Making the grade in Everton's first-team is tough for any young player.

Unfortunately for Mills, he just wasn't quite able to do so, but Toffees chiefs were still evidently aware of his future potential despite letting him go.

Everton have been proven to be wise in this respect, as the Toffees' financial coffers are now set to receive a nice little boost.

BBC Radio 5 Live reporter Ian Dennis has claimed via X that Preston North End have now completed the signing of Mills from Oxford.

However, he also reveals that Everton inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal that took the midfielder to the Kassam Stadium last year.

As a result, the Toffees will now receive £500,000 as part of Mills' move to Deepdale.

This may not seem a lot, but that sum can go a long way to covering a star player's wages for the 2026-27 season.

So, just how well did Mills do with Oxford last season, and did it suggest Everton have seen one of their own slip through the net?

How Mills rivalled Championship's best in a relegated team

Last season wasn't a good one for Oxford, as they were relegated to League One after finishing 22nd in the Championship.

Despite that, Mills was still able to put up numbers in that U's side which were amongst the very best in his position in the second tier.

He turned out 43 times in the Championship in 2025-26, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

As per FotMob, his 47 aerial duels won ranked him in the top 4.5 percentile of all Championship right wingers last term.

Meanwhile, his 116 defensive contributions and 36 successful dribbles placed him in the leading 5.7 and 10.2 percentiles.

His 35 chances created, 24 successful crosses, 54 tackles won, 59 shots and 28 accurate long balls were all well above average for his position too.

So, in a Preston side - David Moyes' old team the he managed for over four years - that typically places mid-table, he should have every chance of posting better numbers this year.

Mills still has a lot to prove, but the signs are there that in a few years' time, he could be a player Everton wish they'd kept around.