Everton Eye Spurs Midfielder Before Deadline: Is He The Right Man For David Moyes Now?

Everton Eye Spurs Midfielder Before Deadline: Is He The Right Man For David Moyes Now? Three clubs are chasing the same Tottenham midfielder, and the clock is ticking. According to Matt Law , Nottingham Forest , Everton and Besiktas have all registered interest in signing Pape Matar Sarr from Spurs. Law’s report makes clear that Sarr has been handed permission to find a new club, with Tottenham actively looking to move fringe players on before the September 1, 11 PM deadline. The 23-year-old Senegal international’s exit from north London looks increasingly certain, with Spurs pushing hard to trim their wage bill after a £300m summer spend. New head coach Roberto De Zerbi has made no space for Sarr in his plans following the arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Everton’s case for signing Sarr is actually stronger than it first appears David Moyes doesn’t have time to get this wrong. The Friedkin Group have already labelled missing Europe a “failure,” and that pressure is on the manager’s shoulders heading into August’s final days. Moyes runs a 4-2-3-1 that asks a great deal from its central engine room. The system demands relentless pressing, quick ball recovery, and someone who can instantly feed the likes of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye in advanced positions. Right now, Everton’s midfield can’t do any of that reliably. It gets bypassed too easily, and it lacks any real athleticism in the middle third. LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 18: Pape Matar Sarr of Tottenham Hotspur prepares for kick off prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Atletico de Madrid at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 18, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) Sarr fixes that. He averaged 10.02 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes at Spurs last season, ranking in the 90th percentile for dribblers tackled and interceptions. His lateral coverage is elite. He also ranked in the 89th percentile for progressive ball carries, and his 88% passing completion rate shows he won’t just hack it long under pressure. The cross-field switching ability, 80th percentile, gives Moyes’ wide players room they aren’t currently getting. The weaknesses are real, though. Two league goals from limited efficiency isn’t impressive. 27 fouls and three yellow cards from a player operating in tight spaces is a concern too. But Moyes wouldn’t ask him to create. Sarr’s job would be to break play up, shield the back four, and recycle possession cleanly. That’s it. At £35m for a Premier League-proven 23-year-old who just featured at the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup with Senegal, Everton are looking at a genuinely good piece of business here, provided they move before Tuesday night.