Everton could be closing on another windfall as former winger Stanley Mills nears a move. The 22-year-old is the subject of strong interest from Preston North End, with the Championship club understood to be willing to pay in excess of an initial £2m.
Whether the Blues will benefit from their sell-on clause in the deal that took him to Oxford United is complicated by the club’s transfer embargo, however.
Mills' rise at Everton and Oxford
Mills was a popular figure at Finch Farm, a player taken under the wing of Frank Lampard - who took him to both the USA and Australia on first team tours in the 2022/23 campaign. He was named the Under-21s’ player of the year that season - in which he made two senior appearances for the Blues.
Mills then started his relationship with Oxford with a loan spell that saw him make 21 appearances in the club’s promotion-winning campaign in League One. His role in that success was cruelly ended with a serious knee injury suffered in the FA Cup third round - but the club maintained their interest in him and signed him in January 2025 following his recovery.
Preston lead the chase
While Oxford were relegated last season, Mills recorded a positive season and was named the players’ player of the year and supporters’ player of the year. That form has led to interest from a clutch of Championship clubs this summer, with Preston leading the chase ahead of the start of the EFL season on Saturday.
Yet while the side appear willing to part with a significant fee in order to prise Mills from the Kassam Stadium, the chances of him being able to face old club Everton later this month - when Preston host the Blues in the Carabao Cup - remain in the balance.
Oxford's transfer embargo complicates deal
The complicating factor is a temporary ban on registering new players imposed on Oxford this summer - meaning the League One side is currently unable to spend money on replacing anyone who leaves.
In a statement last month, Oxford said they expected to be compliant with financial regulations by January and added: “The club have an extremely competitive squad already in place and the focus this summer will be on retaining those players that give Aaron Ramsey and his staff the strongest group possible to deliver success on the pitch this season.”
Against that backdrop, Oxford’s intention is to try and hold onto its star talent, including Mills. That position could become harder to maintain should Preston, or any other club, look to intensify their pursuit.
Everton's sell-on clause potential
The transfer saga is of relevance to Everton because of the 20% sell-on clause inserted into the deal that took Mills to Oxford for a fee of around £400,000. The Blues would take a cut of any profit made by the Us - so an upfront fee of £2m, for instance, would land the club £320,000.
Everton have already benefited from such a clause this summer after netting more than £3.5m from the sale of former player Anthony Gordon to Barcelona from Newcastle United. The club does, however, appear set to miss out on another major boost after Youssef Chermiti, who Rangers turned down £25m from Galatasaray for, suffered an ACL injury at the weekend with the Turkish giants still exploring a move for the forward.
