How many more signings Everton want as Ethan Wheatley transfer decision made

Everton are preparing for a busy final few weeks of the summer transfer window.

David Moyes has so far added five new signings to his squad this summer, albeit Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George were already familiar names.

A big focus has been made in the midfield department, with Brennan Johnson, Christian Norgaard and Hayden Hackney all bolstering the middle of the park.

Everton always have an eye out for young talent too, and Manchester United striker Ethan Wheatley has been strongly linked over recent weeks.

The 20-year-old seems ready to really kickstart his senior career, but he may not get that opportunity at Old Trafford.

And now, it's become clear as to whether he'll be afforded that chance at Hill Dickinson Stadium too.

What is the driving force behind Everton's Ethan Wheatley decision?

Given his relative lack of senior experience aside from a couple of short-term loan spells, Wheatley was always going to be one for the future at Everton.

You don't represent England at various youth international levels, nor graduate from Man United's academy system if you don't have something about you either.

So, Wheatley's capture could've had the potential for big long-term rewards for Everton, but that's not going to be the case.

The Daily Mail claims on Friday that Everton have pulled out of the race to sign the young forward.

It's stated that this decision has been reached due to Everton's finances being at a premium, and because they still want four new signings this summer.

As a result, it's claimed transfer funds are being diverted away from Wheatley to be spent on acquiring those other targets.

The report states that an initial transfer fee including add-ons as well as a sell-on clause is the deal Everton would've been agreeing to for Wheatley.

It's now claimed that newly-promoted Championship side Lincoln City could swoop in for him.

But just how good were Wheatley's numbers in League One last season, and do they suggest he'd of been ready for a first-team role at Everton anytime soon?

Why Everton shouldn't lose sleep over Wheatley decision

Having made four competitive first-team appearances for United so far, Wheatley hasn't quite been deemed ready at Old Trafford just yet.

As a result, he was sent out on two loan moves to the EFL last season with League One sides Northampton Town and Bradford City.

During his first spell with Northampton, Wheatley scored three goals and provided one assist from 22 league outings.

However, he failed to provide a single goal contribution from his 12 League One appearances with Bradford during the second half of last term.

As per FotMob, Wheatley ranked in the bottom 17.8 percentile of all League One strikers in 2025-26 for his 0.13 goals per game average.

Meanwhile, he also placed in the lowest 34.4 and 25.6 percentiles for his 1.88 shots and 8.73 successful passes per 90 too.

Loans to the EFL quickly find out whether a young player is ready for the physicality of senior football too, and Wheatley didn't pass that test last term.

His 28.4 per cent duel win rate scored him in the bottom 12.2 percentile of all third-tier strikers, whilst his 20.4 per cent aerial duels won put him in the lowest 15.6 per cent.

On top of that, he was also dispossessed 2.14 times per game too, which put him in the bottom 17.8 per cent of his positional rivals.

Overall then, Wheatley hasn't yet proven himself in senior football, and with funds tight, Everton are likely making a wise choice prioritising other signings.