Liverpool, England – Everton has reportedly agreed to a deal worth approximately £28 million to sign Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The fee for the 26-year-old is structured as an initial £24 million, with an additional £3-4 million in add-ons. Dewsbury-Hall is now set to finalize personal terms and undergo a medical, despite late interest from Fulham.
Dewsbury-Hall’s move to Goodison Park marks a significant step for Everton manager David Moyes, who hinted at impending deals last week during the Premier League Summer Series. For Chelsea, the sale is part of a broader strategy to trim their squad and meet financial regulations.
Dewsbury-Hall’s Stint at Stamford Bridge
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s time at Chelsea was a curious case of a talented player finding it difficult to secure a consistent starting role despite the club’s success. He joined Chelsea in 2024 for £30 million from Leicester City, rejoining manager Enzo Maresca, who also made the switch from the Foxes. Dewsbury-Hall had initially been reluctant to leave Leicester, even rejecting Brighton to stay with his boyhood club, but Chelsea’s late-June offer proved too substantial to decline, especially with Leicester facing pressure to meet Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) requirements.
Despite adapting well to Maresca’s system, Dewsbury-Hall primarily featured in a supporting role. He started only twice in the Premier League, as Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Enzo Fernandez were ahead of him in the midfield pecking order. However, he made a notable impact in Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League run, scoring four goals and providing an assist for Jadon Sancho’s goal in the 4-1 triumph over Real Betis in May’s final. He also contributed to their FIFA Club World Cup success, scoring his fifth club goal in a 4-1 victory over Benfica and featuring in the 3-0 final win over Paris Saint-Germain.
While he performed decently when given opportunities, his quick in-and-out movement reflects a recent trend for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s Strategic Sales Amidst Financial Scrutiny
The sale of Dewsbury-Hall is particularly crucial for Chelsea. Following the recent signing of Dutch defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax, the club is actively negotiating multiple player sales this week. This push is vital as UEFA’s recent punishment for financial control violations mandates that Chelsea must sell players from their last Conference League squad to ensure a “positive transfer balance” this summer. Failing to do so could prevent them from registering new signings like Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Liam Delap for the Champions League by September.
In addition to Dewsbury-Hall, Chelsea is looking to offload more players:
- French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, 21, has agreed to join Burnley.
- Burnley is also in advanced talks for Albanian forward Armando Broja, 23.
- Borussia Dortmund has re-opened negotiations for midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka.
Chelsea is also still actively looking to strengthen their midfield options for next season, with talks ongoing for RB Leipzig’s Netherlands international Xavi Simons.
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