Everton must delay major transfer decision for 18 days

Everton must delay major transfer decision for 18 days

Harrison Armstrong is a young player in demand after he made an impressive start to pre-season with Everton

Harrison Armstrong in action during the pre-season friendly match between Blackburn Rovers and Everton at Ewood Park on July 19, 2025 in Blackburn, England (Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images )

Pre-season friendlies are funny things. You can't wait for club football to return and for the first warm-up game to take place only quickly to realise they are exactly that: warm-up games.

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Few, particularly at this stage of the summer, live long in the memory and it's fair to say that Everton's 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley and 1-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers fitted into the forgettable category.

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Not that there's anything wrong with that. After all, it is all about getting minutes into the legs ahead of the new Premier League campaign, which for the Blues kicks off in little under four weeks against newly-promoted Leeds United at what will be a red-hot Elland Road.

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But with only Mark Travers of the 'new' signings on show - Carlos Alcaraz, of course, having seen his loan move from Flamengo be made permanent - perhaps it was understandable that the Evertonians who made the trip to East Lancashire for the double-header were left feeling a little uninspired.

With Thierno Barry set to make his debut on the club's tour of the United States, and further transfers set to follow in what should be a busy end to the window, that will soon change.

And, regardless, there was one player who set pulses racing.

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Fresh from his successful first loan spell away from the club, at Derby County, Harrison Armstrong was Everton's best player against Accrington, impressing in a more advanced attacking midfield role in the first half and then in a deeper position in the second.

Afterwards the 18-year-old said to evertontv: "I think with the loan I've grown as a player, so I'm just trying to show different sides to my game and hopefully I can impress.

"I'm taking the approach of what's best to happen will happen. I'm just seeing how it really goes and taking each day as it comes."

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Armstrong was then named on the bench against Blackburn and, while wasn't quite as effective, he showed, in the words of our Everton FC correspondent Joe Thomas, "an intelligence that posed questions of the home defence."

Blackburn were clearly impressed as reports subsequently emerged that suggest they, along with Championship rivals Derby and Hull City, want to sign Armstrong on loan.

Derby's interest is of no surprise. The teenager made 15 appearances for the Rams in the second half of last season, scoring one goal, and he left a lasting impression on their manager John Eustace, who took over the job 10 days after Armstrong's arrival and subsequently led the club to safety.

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Speaking in March, Eustace said after the Everton prospect's first senior goal in a crucial 3-2 win over Plymouth Argyle: "Touch of class from H (Armstrong) for a just-turned 18-year-old.

"The way he is maturing into a really good player, it is very pleasing; there is still a lot of hard work ahead.

"I was a little bit worried for him and Tommo (Liam Thompson); third game in a week and the effort they put in the last two games was phenomenal. The way they kept going today, was really pleasing. So, I am delighted for H; still a lot of work to go with the boy but he is doing well."

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The Blues clearly have a decision to make about Armstrong. But, for now, there is no rush.

While it shouldn't be surprising that he impressed against Accrington and Blackburn, tougher tests await.

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Following yesterday's (July 22) behind-closed-doors friendly against Port Vale, Everton now head to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series.

That will see the Blues face English top-flight rivals Bournemouth (Saturday, July 26), West Ham United (Wednesday, July 30) and Manchester United (Sunday, August 3) in New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta respectively.

That will prove a step up Armstrong, as will the visit of Serie A giants to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, August 9 for the club's final pre-season friendly.

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With Everton struggling for centre-midfielders at present - Idrissa Gueye, James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam are David Moyes' only senior options in that department - these four matches across the next 18 days represent the perfect chance to see if Armstrong is ready for the step up to the Premier League or whether it will be better to spend a full season in the Championship.

Much might depends on whether Blues boss Moyes can bring in midfield reinforcements with the likes of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Joao Palhinha all having been linked with moves to Merseyside in recent weeks.

But if is the latter, Armstrong will clearly not be short of suitors.

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