Jack Grealish & Kyle Walker signed, striker deal: How Everton could line up vs Leeds United on opening day

After ensuring Everton remained a Premier League club, David Moyes is now getting to work on pushing the Toffees to begin challenging higher up the table.

Everton waved goodbye to Premier League football at Goodison Park in May as they head into their new stadium on Bramley Moore Dock. They will need to wait until their second game to play in it, however, as they travel to Elland Road to face newly-promoted Leeds United on the opening day of the 2025-26 campaign.

Brighton and Hove Albion are the first visitors to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Moyes revived Everton’s fortunes last season as the Toffees enjoyed some impressive form in the second half of the campaign, capping the season with a 1-0 win at Champions League-bound Newcastle United.

Moyes has spoken of his ambitions to get the Toffees into Europe, replicating the success he had at West Ham. There are poised to be some changes to the squad with it already confirmed the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Ashley Young, Joao Virginia, Asmir Begovic, Mason Holgate and Neal Maupay will depart. As Everton get on with their transfer business, we look at how they could line-up on the opening day against Leeds if they get their desired targets through the door.

Goalkeeper and defence

Jordan Pickford has been an ever-present for Everton ever since his move from Sunderland back in 2017. There could be changes in front of him, however, with Kyle Walker linked with a switch to the Toffees. The former Tottenham man has been told he has no future at Manchester City having been left out of the squad for the Club World Cup. If they cannot sign Walker, Everton reportedly have a four-man shortlist of right-back targets.

James Tarkowski has been a solid defender since moving to Merseyside and Everton will hope to have Jarrad Branthwaite alongside him in the heart of defence. The 22-year-old is attracting admiring glances from across the Premier League but the Toffees will not let him go easily. Vitaliy Mykolenko was in the starting XI for 92 per cent of Premier League games last term and is likely to retain his place.

He is approaching the final year of his contract, however, something Everton will need to solve sooner than later after seeing a number of contracts expire this summer.

Midfield and attack

Idrissa Gana Gueye is out of contract in less than two weeks but he has been offered a new deal by the club. He is attracting interest from France but the Toffees are keen to keep him having already seen Doucoure depart.

James Garner is poised to retain his spot in the base of midfield while further forward Carlos Alcaraz will have a part to play next season after Everton triggered the option to buy the midfielder from Brazilian side Flamengo. Iliman Ndiaye enjoyed an impressive first year at Everton with nine goals in 33 Premier League games.

Jack Grealish has also been linked with a move to Everton as he joined Walker in being snubbed by Pep Guardiola for a spot in City’s Club World Cup squad. At striker, Thierno Barry of Villarreal has been the subject of interest but West Ham and Crystal Palace are also linked.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is poised to depart the Toffees, meaning Beto is the only current senior centre-forward, with Youssef Chermiti lacking experience and being plagued by injury last term. Barry scored 19 goals in 41 games for Villareal last season as they finished fifth in La Liga.

Everton possible line-up v Leeds United: Pickford; Walker, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Grealish, Alcaraz, Ndiaye; Barry.