Tyler Dibling: What’s next for Everton’s £42m forgotten man as exile continues

Tyler Dibling arrived at Everton with huge excitement surrounding him last summer, but he has struggled to cope with the pressure.

The Toffees paid Southampton up to £42million, largely for the winger’s potential, but he has failed to leave any impression in the short appearances he has had.

Dibling has started just four Premier League games for Everton this season, and has appeared for just one minute since the start of February.

David Moyes will be patient with the 20-year-old, who certainly showed promise at Southampton last season.

However, it would not be surprising to hear that Everton transfer chiefs are confronting the unshakeable feeling that a huge mistake has been made.

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Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider in February that Dibling will look for a way out of Everton, and it is not hard to see why.

While the 20-year-old has failed to impress in his time on the pitch this season, Moyes has handed him just 520 minutes across all competitions.

Just three times has the winger spent more than 60 minutes on the pitch at once, with many of his appearances in the single digits.

For a young player like Dibling, one has to ask how he is expected to gain any momentum at all in such a situation.

Moyes would argue that the youngster does not feature in his best team, and that would be undoubtedly correct.

With the summer approaching, both Everton and Dibling will be forced to find a solution for his situation.

We have completed the transfer of winger Tyler Dibling from Southampton for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract.

Welcome to Everton, Tyler! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/bjd1kDO0Ku

A loan appears to be the most obvious plan, although it is unclear at what level the Toffees would want to send him to.

With Everton looking to bolster their options in the summer transfer window, including with the permanent signing of Jack Grealish, it would currently be hard to convince Dibling to stay at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

It will already likely go down as a year wasted for the winger’s development, and he cannot risk another one.

4️⃣th youngest: Tyler Dibling vs Ipswich

18 years, 7 months, 4 days 👶 pic.twitter.com/il1NWIcygm

However, Moyes seems keen for Dibling to stay put. “He’s a young player with a lot of potential,” he said at the start of the month.

“He’s probably found it a little bit difficult settling and getting game time, especially at the start with Jack Grealish in the team.

“We like him a lot. We think he’s got a lot of talent, so he’ll have a lot to show next year and hopefully he’ll show that when he gets the opportunities.”

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