Everton's Key Target: Marcus Tavernier for Squad Overhaul

Everton’s rebuild could yet have another key piece, with former senior scout King adamant Marcus Tavernier is exactly the profile the club should be targeting.

King, who worked inside the recruitment department at Goodison, believes the Bournemouth man is right on the cusp of his prime and offers the kind of flexibility Sean Dyche’s squad badly lacks.

“He’s a gainer in the 25, 26, 27 age, isn’t he? So, you know, you’re looking at him, again, good age. He’s done well,” King told Football Insider, underlining why Tavernier has caught Everton’s eye.

The age point matters. Those mid‑20s seasons are where clubs expect output and resale value to align. Tavernier sits right in that window.

King also highlighted the tactical options the midfielder would bring.

“He can play midfield, he can play wide. You know, he could be an interesting player to bring in with Johnson. He could certainly lift the midfield, couldn’t he?”

That ability to operate centrally or off the flank has become gold dust in a league where benches are shrinking and demands are rising. For an Everton side that has often looked one‑paced and predictable between the lines, the attraction is obvious.

King pointed to Bournemouth’s track record as another sign of Tavernier’s calibre.

“He’s done well at Bournemouth. You know, when you look at Bournemouth’s recruitment, it’s been very good, hasn’t it? I mean, Christ, they’ve made a lot of money on sale of players. Bringing them in cheapish and selling them for big money.”

In other words, if you’re consistently trusted by a club that buys smart and sells high, you’re usually doing plenty right.

Interest from Goodison is not just speculation. On 9 August, journalist Ben Jacobs confirmed that Everton had moved beyond simple admiration, revealing on his X account: “Understand Everton have made an enquiry on Marcus Tavernier. Initial talks on the player side. No approach to Bournemouth.”

So Everton have tested the water with the player’s camp, but are yet to knock on Bournemouth’s door. The situation sits in that delicate early phase where intent is clear, but negotiations have not truly started.

If a deal does progress, Tavernier would join a sweeping overhaul on Merseyside. Everton have already brought in Brennan Johnson, Merlin Rohl, Tyrique George, Hayden Hackney and Christian Norgaard, reshaping the spine and the supporting cast in one window.

Add Tavernier’s running power and positional range to that list, and the picture shifts again. This would not just be a tweak to the squad. It would be another sign that Everton intend to build a side that can finally move away from survival scraps and start climbing the table with purpose.