David Moyes desperate for an Everton team fit for ‘a new stadium we can fall in love with’

David Moyes has described Everton’s move to Hill Dickinson Stadium as the start of a “new romance” but believes the strength of the marriage rests on the success of the team.

Everton’s new £800m stadium stages its first competitive game on Sunday when Brighton visit in the Premier League. Moyes feels it was “written in the stars” that he should be in charge for the historic moment, but insists it is also imperative that the club construct a team worthy of the impressive arena.

“[It is] a new romance. We’ve got a new stadium that we can fall in love with,” he said. “A long marriage has a lot to do with how the team is and what team we put on the pitch over the years to come. Can we make that marriage last with the supporters and everybody at the club? I think that’s the next bit.

“We’ve built a brilliant stadium, now the job is to try and build a brilliant team and get to a point where we’re more competitive than what we are. I’m quite confident we can do that. It’s a difficult window and it might be a difficult year for us as well but we’ll get the building blocks down and hopefully we can start moving things along.”

Moyes saw two stadium projects fail during his first spell as Everton manager, at Kings Dock and Kirkby, before returning in time for the move from Goodison Park to Liverpool’s waterfront. He said it would feel fitting to lead Everton into their first league game at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

“To be at any one club for 11 and a half years in the first period takes some doing in any level of football,” he said. “I’ve had a great affiliation with Everton over the years and I’m very fortunate to be back, and it just happens I’m back in time for the new stadium. It could have easily been other great managers who’ve managed this club. But I feel that maybe it was written in the stars in some way that I would get the opportunity to do so.”

Everton are close to a deal for Tyler Dibling following a breakthrough in their protracted negotiations for the 19-year-old Southampton winger.

Southampton informed Everton they wanted £45m plus a 20% sell-on fee for the England under-21 international when rejecting the Merseyside club’s third offer for the player, which was worth up to £40m.

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But three weeks on, with Everton refusing to meet Southampton’s valuation, the south coast club instigated fresh talks and indicated they would be willing to accept a lower fee. Talks are now advancing over the transfer of Dibling, with Everton expected to pay just over £40m including add-ons. The teenager has two years remaining on his contract at St Mary’s Stadium and has made it clear he wants a move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Moyes has been desperate to strengthen his right flank all summer. The breakthrough for Dibling came after Moyes’ press conference on Friday when he spoke of Everton potentially having to lower their sights in the transfer market having missed out on a number of top targets. Dibling has been a leading target all summer and would be the second most expensive signing in Everton’s history should the deal get over the line.

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