Everton’s ‘to do’ list this summer will be significant, regardless of the state of the club’s finances.
Uncertainty remains over what exactly Sean Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell will be able to do with the squad. Both the lengthy takeover and the yet-to-be-heard battle over the interest settlement associated with stadium loans will pose challenges when it comes. to forward planning.
But one certainty Everton can cling to is that the club will be a Premier League outfit next season. As preparations continue at Finch Farm, here are the most pressing contract situations they need to reach a conclusion on.
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Loan players to return to parent clubs
An already threadbare squad will initially be reduced as the two loanees return to their parent clubs at the end of the season. The exits of Arnaut Danjuma And Jack Harrison will severely reduce Dyche’s attacking options out wide, leaving Dwight McNeil as the only recognized senior wide player in the ranks. Danjuma has struggled to make an impact since joining Villarreal, thrust into prominence after McNeil and Harrison returned from injuries at the start of the season.
With the 27-year-old looking primed for a role during January’s injury crisis, he was unlucky to suffer a serious ankle injury in the final minutes of the draw against Fulham. He is now fit again but is yet to appear on the pitch for Dyche despite being named on the bench in recent games.
Harrison, on the other hand, has been a staunch supporter for Dyche. Apart from a few games on the bench last month, the Leeds United striker has been ever-present when fit, contributing three goals and three assists in his 28 Premier League appearances. Danjuma’s limited options – which posed challenges to his time at Everton in January – suggest his future may lie elsewhere. There is more to suggest that Everton are keen to reunite with Harrison, but apart from the club’s own problems, the Blues may have to wait until Leeds United’s season is over. The club then seems likely to end up in the play-offs for the championship.
Players without a contract
Six senior players currently have their contracts set to expire at the end of this season. Both represent a difficult decision and Dyche was clear that confirming safety weeks earlier than previous seasons did not provide as much clarity as he would normally expect. Andy Lonergan has not received first-team minutes under Dyche, but the third-choice goalkeeper is a regular in matchday squads and is a cheap part of a goalkeeping unit that has historically worked well to give Jordan Pickford the opportunity to excel . Joao Virginia impressed when given the opportunity in January, keeping two clean sheets in FA Cup matches with Crystal Palace. He too is a product of the broader work of that unit.
Ashley Young may be 38 but has more than 30 appearances to his name in all competitions and his versatility could once again be considered useful as Everton will start the summer with a lack of wide players given the expiring loan deals and long-term injury by Nathan Patterson. Vitalii Mykolenko’s prospects look more promising, but he will also suffer an injury in the final season. Dyche went out of his way to praise Young after the win over Brentford, adding: “[He is] A different class, I say to all young players: don’t look at anyone else but him.”
Dyche also praised the club’s captain Seamus Coleman because he has “a heart as big as a bucket” and after a tough season with injuries he will now feature in the squads during the final weeks of the season. Coleman, hailed by manager after manager as the soul of the dressing room and seen as a crucial link between Finch Farm and the stands, is also out of contract at the end of the campaign. The club captain’s 15-year spell on Merseyside was recently celebrated with the launch of a special kit and there is little doubt that he has an important status at the club that will be taken into consideration in discussions about his next step.
Idrissa Gueye The two-year contract also expires this summer. The club has an option to extend his stay for another year and the central midfielder highlighted the impact he can still have by being the outstanding player in the week that kept Everton level, scoring in the wins over Nottingham Forest and Brentford and produced a milestone at the same time. in the Merseyside derby win.
Gueye’s wages, just like those of fellow midfielders without a contract André Gomes And Delecould be a subject of debate, but with an expected overhaul at center – injury problems have plagued both Gomes and Dele in recent seasons – and interest expected in Amadou Onana, it could be seen as added value to have an experienced player at to hold a key position. .
Those concerns about the fitness of Gomes and Dele will influence the decision-making process when it comes to the pair, although Gomes has been impressive in a short space of time this season – most notably in the defeat at Tottenham Hotspur when he led a comeback that was only thwarted by controversial decisions.
Those entering the last twelve months
There will also be discussions about the players entering the final 12 months of their deals. Everton’s proximity to winning and sustainability limits means the club may be willing to cash in on players who attract interest, and this window will be the last chance to do so for a host of stars. The highest profile player whose long-term situation needs to be addressed is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. While he struggled for goals in the middle third of the campaign, he finished flourishing and his derby performances showed how effective he can be against those at the top of the table. His improved durability this season makes him more important for Everton, but could also make him more attractive to rivals.
The center rear trio of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey And Mason Holgate are also entering the final year of their deals. Dyche trusts Keane and has relied on Godfrey’s professionalism and versatility. Holgate’s year on loan suggests the club would likely listen to offers for him, but this is another area where serious change could take place should Jarrad Branthwaite attract the expected interest.
Besides these players Virginia And Lewis Dobbin have been valuable team players this season and the lack of wide options and backup for Pickford means both have value for Dyche. Abdoulaye Doucoure also enters the final year of its latest extension. The midfielder, key to Dyche’s approach, is believed to be happy at Everton and rejected interest in his services from Saudi Arabia in January.