Everton could face an increasingly difficult battle to keep hold of James Garner in future transfer windows as the midfielder continues to enhance his reputation with a series of impressive performances.
That is the view of former senior Everton scout Bryan King, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the 25-year-old’s growing importance to the club.
Garner once again caught the eye on Sunday when the Toffees played out a dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester United, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles scoring a 96th-minute equaliser.
The midfielder was reportedly the subject of late interest from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, although Everton manager David Moyes has since strongly denied those claims.
Everton were said to have rejected the supposed approach, with the London club reportedly valuing Garner at around £65million.
Garner remains under contract at Goodison Park until 2030 and is understood to be happy on Merseyside after agreeing to a new deal with the club in January.
There’s a big move there for James Garner
Garner arrived at Everton from Manchester United in 2022 in a deal worth around £15million following an impressive loan spell with Nottingham Forest.
Since then, the England international has continued to develop his game and is now regarded as one of the most exciting midfield talents in the Premier League.
With Elliot Anderson commanding a £116million transfer fee and Sandro Tonali costing £100million this summer, Everton could demand a similarly significant figure before even considering selling Garner.
“Last year, his performances earned him an England cap, and rightly so,” King told Football Insider. “In a similar role, he was like the boy [Morgan] Rogers at Aston Villa. I think there’s a big move there for him.
“I think some of the big boys will come calling at some stage, that’s for sure. But for me, his performances were good. They were regular.
“He earned an England call-up, and I think he was certainly a central part of Everton’s last two seasons. His progress has also progressed Everton as a football team.”
David Moyes denies Garner rumours
Chelsea were reportedly left scrambling for midfield reinforcements as the transfer window approached its conclusion after allowing Enzo Fernandez to complete a £125million move to Manchester City without securing a replacement.
Lamine Camara appeared set to fill that void, but Monaco reportedly withdrew from an agreed deal at the last minute, leaving Xabi Alonso short of options in midfield.
Reports subsequently suggested Chelsea made a late attempt to sign Garner, but Moyes was quick to dismiss the speculation and insisted there was no truth behind the claims.
“What was said was completely untrue, so I don’t know where that’s come from. There’s no truth in that whatsoever,” he said last week.