Everton today announced that key midfielder James Garner has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2030.
The 24-year-old’s current contract still had six months left to run with Everton having the option to trigger a one year extension. With a number of clubs across Europe starting to pay attention to his impressive performances this season, getting him a new and improved deal was a priority for the Toffees.
The Merseyside-born midfielder joined Everton from Manchester United for £9 million in the summer of 2022, but this season under David Moyes has seen him make major strides. His versatility in playing across the midfield has been boosted by his ability to hold his own at the fullback spots as well.
His new contract makes him one of the best paid players on the Toffees. Garner was named Everton Player of the Month for December 2025, and was also the Premier League Player of the Week during the first week of January 2026. He was also the Man of the Match for the win over Nottingham Forest and more recently the win at Aston Villa.
This season he has featured in all 25 of Everton’s games, and his 2,274 minutes played is second only to James Tarkowski, and has 3 goals and 3 assists in that time. Garner leads the Premier League in combined tackles (64), interceptions (32) and key passes (27) with 123 in total so far this campaign.
Speaking to evertontv about the midfielder, manager David Moyes commended Garner.
“We’re really pleased to have Jimmy commit his long-term future to Everton.
“He is a player who has developed hugely during his time at Everton. He’s taking on more responsibility and we’re now seeing a really important midfielder, with the versatility to play in other positions, as well as someone who is turning into a leader for us.
“He is still only 24 years of age, and we hope he will continue to progress while playing a big part in pushing us forward in the future.”
Garner spoke with evertontv about his decision to stay on Merseyside for the long term.
“I’m staying injury-free and I’m playing with that freedom and positivity I feel like I didn’t have in my first two or three years.
“Since [Moyes] came in, there’s been no surprise I’ve gone up levels of performances. That’s down to him and his coaching staff.
“He’s trusted me – and what he asks of me to do on a game day, it suits exactly how I play. He’s been really important since he’s come in.“You see the progress we’ve made as a team. There’s definitely progression there, and I feel like there’s only going to be more.
“I want to be part of that progress and get the Club back to where it deserves to be.”
The midfielder has stepped it up in the absence of veteran Idrissa Gana Gueye who is away at AFCON, and summer signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who is rehabilitating from a thigh injury.
“I’ve always been quite a natural leader, and I’ve done that throughout academy football and things like that. It’s hard when you first come into a club when you’ve already got so many leaders, so you have to find your feet and find your place – and I feel like I’ve done that now and it’s time to step up the responsibility on and off the pitch.
“I have had to step up to the plate [in the absence of others recently], and I feel like my performances have shown that and shown I can be one of the influential leaders in the team.
“I still feel like there’s more to come from me. I’m still only 24 and I’ve had a lot of experiences already but there’s still more that I can do. The obvious one would be goals and assists, which is obviously the one everyone wants to get better at.
“I also want to bring that overall consistency and be a player that people can look at as a leader who is setting the right examples.”
