Reports have claimed that Everton have entered transfer talks with Fenerbahce over Morocco international striker Youssef En-Nesyri
10:45, 14 Jan 2026Updated 22:26, 15 Jan 2026
With strikers Thierno Barry and Beto on just three goals apiece this term and the season now beyond the halfway mark, Everton continue to be linked with additional firepower now that the January transfer window is open and Youssef En-Nesyri is the latest such name in the frame.
Despite netting twice in the space of four days in late August, against Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup second round and then Wolverhampton Wanderers, Beto did not register again for over four months until his consolation strike in the 4-2 home defeat to Brentford on January 4. Barry, a £27million buy from Villarreal in July, netted 19 times last season (eight for Swiss club Basel and then a further 11 for the Spaniards), but it took him 17 matches to break his duck for the Blues.
The 23-year-old, who played for France at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship last summer – a tournament where deadline day signing Merlin Rohl represented Germany – scored his first Everton goal in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Hill Dickinson Stadium on December 6 and has subsequently netted in the return fixture against Sean Dyche’s side at the City Ground on December 30 when the Blues triumphed 2-0 and in the aforementioned 4-2 loss to Brentford when he and Beto were both on the scoresheet in the same game for the first time.
At 11:05pm on Tuesday, Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany took to X (formerly Twitter) to tell his 617,000 followers that he understood that Everton were exploring a surprising deal to sign Youssef En-Nesyri with immediate effect and that concrete talks have already started. He added that Fenerbahce are open to talks over either a loan move or a permanent transfer for the 28-year-old striker who is under contract until 2029.
Subsequently, on the same platform, Fabrizio Romano has told his 26.7million followers, Everton have sent an official bid to Fenerbahce for En-Nesyri on an initial loan with €20m option to buy and that negotiations are underway.
En-Nesyri is currently on international duty for host nation Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations where he is due to be part of their squad for their semi-final against Nigeria which takes place in Rabat at 8pm on Wednesday, after the other last four clash between Everton pair Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye’s Senegal against an Egypt side featuring Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (5pm kick-off) finishes. Capped 90 times after making his debut aged 18, En-Nesyri has struck 25 goals for his country.
Although he has featured in all five of Morocco’s matches in the competition so far, they have all been off the substitutes’ bench. The 6ft 2in frontman started his career at Atletico Malagueno, the reserve team of Malaga, netting nine times in 10 matches.
He was then promoted to Malaga’s senior side playing Spanish top flight football in La Liga, scoring five goals in 41 games, before subsequent spells at Leganes (53 matches, 15 goals) and Sevilla (196 matches, 73 goals before joining Fenerbahce for a Turkish Super Lig record €19.5million on July 24, 2024. While in Istanbul, En-Nesyri plundered 30 goals in 52 games last season and has eight in 25 outings this term.
However, despite these two reports, the ECHO understands there is nothing happening on a potential deal for En-Nesyri as things stand. If Everton do any business, then it’s more likely to be loans, unless something exceptional presents itself and although ideally the Blues would like to bring a full-back and a striker in, the latter will be particularly difficult in this window.