David Moyes resigned to losing James Garner as Everton eye up Gabriel Sara deal
Everton must still prepare for the eventuality of James Garner leaving the summer despite his brand-new deal on Merseyside.
The England international has made an incredible impact in the Premier League this term, earning calls for the midfielder to be in the 2025-26 Premier League Team of the Season.
Signed for just £9million in the summer of 2022, the 25-year-old has emerged as an absolute bargain, becoming the Toffees' backbone of the squad, as well as notching three goals and seven assists.
Understandably, Premier League clubs are interested in Garner, with the talented midfielder being tipped for a big-money move at the end of the season, even with his new contract running until 2030.
James Garner is expected to leave Everton this summer
Mick Brown told Football Insider last month that Nottingham Forest are eyeing up Garner once again, having had him at the City Ground on loan for 18 months between January 2021 and June 2022.
The Reds are likely to face competition from some of the bigger names in the division, already being linked with a move to Old Trafford, as Manchester United search for a Casemiro replacement.
Garner has the potential to rise straight to the top, with the Red Devils clearly regretting their decision to allow the 25-year-old to leave in the summer of 2022.
| James Garner | vs | Gabriel Sara |
| 3144 | Minutes played | 1840 |
| 2 | Goals | 5 |
| 7 | Assists | 4 |
| 49 | Chances created | 56 |
| 39% | Shot accuracy | 46% |
| 0.49% | Successful dribbles per 90 | 0.83% |
| 1.89 | Successful tackles per 90 | 0.78 |
| 0.31 | Blocks per 90 | 0.34 |
| 0.37 | Possession won in final 3rd per 90 | 0.68 |
The Toffees are clearly braced for interest in their star midfielder, and plans are already appearing to take shape at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in case of an emergency at the end of this season.
Gabriel Sara is the perfect replacement on Merseyside
According to 343's Ali Naci Kucuk, Aston Villa and Tottenham are both set to challenge Everton for Gabriel Sara's signature, with the possibility of the player getting into Brazil's squad for the World Cup.
The 26-year-old has experience back in England, having featured for Norwich City across two campaigns, where he accumulated 96 appearances, as well as two major honours in the Championship.
With six goals and five assists this season, Sara is very much a threat in the final third, like Garner, all while putting in huge tackles in front of his own net and protecting the defenders behind him.
If the Toffees are to lose their star midfielder, going all-in for the Galatasaray star's signature would make total sense this summer, but any deal is unlikely to come cheap with the Turkish giants.