One positive on a difficult deadline day for Everton was the loan signing of Jack Grealish for a second successive season from Manchester City.
Grealish proved to be a popular addition to the Everton squad in 2025-26 before a stress fracture to his foot ended his campaign after a 1-0 win at Aston Villa in January.
While Everton's goal output was broadly the same with and without Grealish, their win percentage and points-per-game tallies were both significantly higher with the 30-year-old in the side.
Despite missing four months of the season, only James Garner (7) provided more assists than Grealish's six for the club, while Grealish ranked top for fouls won (58) and touches in the opposition box (105).
The England international's creative numbers also compare favourably to Iliman Ndiaye, who has departed Everton for Manchester City.
Grealish created eight more chances, won 21 more fouls and provided three more assists in the Premier League despite playing 12 fewer games than the Senegal international.