Everton is heading into a summer which promises massive change on the pitch to match events off it. A squad which toiled during the negative, unimaginative reign of Sean Dyche, picked up immensely with David Moyes at the tiller and finished a creditable 13th in the Premier League on 48 points.
The manager, now heading towards his first full season in charge, is eager to improve on that however, and will be evaluating what he has available in the squad. In terms of recruitment, the club will be able to spend freely for the first time in several years, after the current league PSR period ends on June 30th.
First, decisions will have to be made on the futures of those players whose contracts are up at the end of the month. Whilst some have already been resolved, others are still up in the air. Here, I take a look at all cases, assessing each player’s contributions last term, and what I’d do — or would have done.
Newcastle United FC v Everton FC - Premier League After overcoming a bit of a rocky start, the Premier League veteran was a solid presence in the squad
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Ashley Young
signed on a free Jul 13th 2023
The experienced fullback, who’d played for Manchester United and Inter, but who’d probably peaked as a winger during his first spell at Aston Villa, joined the Blues two years ago, at the tail end of what’s been an outstanding career. In his first season, he was plugged in as required in various positions, and the 39-year-old did the same this term, ending up making 32 league appearances, mostly at right back. The veteran was favoured by Dyche, starting 15 from the last 16 in the league under the ex-Burnley chieftain, but was soon relegated to bench duty under Moyes.
Young was one of Everton’s most consistent performers over the first half of the season and suited the hyper-conservative approach under Dyche, but struggled to adjust to a more expansive style under the Scot, though he preformed competently when called upon. A model professional and admirably fit, he decided to leave rather than accept the terms being offered by the club, as he presumably wishes for a more active playing role, rather than just providing cover, which is understandable. He leaves with good wishes, having played a lot more than most had anticipated.
Verdict: release(d)
Everton FC v Fulham FC - Premier League Begovic has supported the squad well, but not seen much playing time
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Asmir Begovic
signed on a free Aug 24th 2024
The veteran was brought in to provide experienced cover, as Everton’s third-choice goalkeeper. Unlike his first stint at the Toffees, between 2021 and 2023, the 37-year-old made no appearances — in effect simply playing a part in training sessions at Finch Farm and as an occasional presence on the bench, riding the pine, with the team again often sporting two backup stoppers in the matchday squad.
Having rejoined off a campaign with QPR in the Championship, in which he’d started all but one league match, it seems that the Bosnian was after a more active role, as his career winds down, hence his decision to depart.
Verdict: release(d)
Coleman will remain at Everton, but should it be as a player?
Seamus Coleman
signed Jan 1st 2009
A playing contract has been offered to the club captain, with Moyes adamant that he wants the Irishman’s presence on the playing staff next season, but is this a sensible move? The right back turns 37 in October and was a peripheral figure on the pitch last term, managing just 215 minutes of league action, down from 662 in the previous campaign and 1663 the one before that. Since being stretchered off at Leicester City with a serious knee injury in May 2023, Coleman has only started nine league matches. In his last three, he’s been injured immediately afterwards, or during the game, as happened against Southampton, in what was the player’s Goodison Park farewell.
The veteran has his coaching qualifications, so if Moyes values his voice around Finch Farm, or in the dressing room, then can’t he provide that in a non-playing capacity? It’s been apparent for some time that Coleman’s body can no longer handle playing at this level of intensity, so why go through the charade of keeping him in the squad? Everton had 25 registered senior players last season, and still went through spells where they were short of bodies, often putting two goalkeepers on the bench (maintaining a proud tradition). Seamus has been a great player for the Blues, but offering him a new contract at this stage reeks of old-style Everton sentimentality.
Verdict: release
Fulham FC v Everton FC - Premier League Keane will be remembered for his goalscoring exploits as much as his defending
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Michael Keane
signed for €28.5m from Burnley Jul 3rd 2017
Brought in for big money back when Everton were free-spending, in those long-vanished, seemingly halcyon early years under former club owner Farhad Moshiri. Keane has ended up staying for eight seasons — piling up 230 appearances across all competitions. Rarely injured, that total would have been even higher, but for the fact that he lost his place in the first eleven a few years ago, during Frank Lampard’s brief spell as manager and although Dyche made a few, determined, but unpopular attempts to reinstate his old Burnley player, he’s never managed to regain his starting berth in the back four.
Likeable, and as honest as the day is long, the 32-year-old has proven more reliable in spot duty, as at the end of the last campaign, than he’s often been as a regular. A fixture in the side at the start of the season under Dyche, Keane saw only two minutes of league action between November and April, and it’s commendable that he’s been able to slot in when needed — also offering a goal threat at times. Still in negotiations with the club, if he accepts a contract on significantly reduced terms as a fourth-choice centre half, he’d save Everton having to find a replacement, in what will be a busy summer.
Verdict: retain (reduced terms)
Everton FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League Gana has been one of the best tackling machines in the league for some time now
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Idrissa Gueye
signed for €4m from PSG Sep 1st 2022
The midfielder has probably been Everton’s best, most consistent outfield player since he returned to Merseyside. Back then, a move for the veteran looked like a shrewd short-term fix, given the club’s financial woes, but fast forward three years and Gueye is showing no obvious signs of slowing down. Now 35, he’s an ageless marvel and whilst acknowledging that players well north of 30 can suddenly hit the wall abruptly, it’d be a brave man to bet against the Senegalese international maintaining his impressive levels for a while longer.
Of course, the club cannot rely on him indefinitely, so will need to bring in his eventual replacement sooner, rather than later — and hopefully we’ll see some movement in this direction during the summer. But, extending Gana is a no-brainer, with him being one of the best defensive midfielders in the league last season. A contract has been offered, but rumours are that it falls short of the two-year deal being sought by the player. It is known that lucrative offers from elsewhere are on the table for him to consider, but hopefully the club can tempt him to extend his second stay at Everton a little longer.
Verdict: retain
Nottingham Forest FC v Everton FC - Premier League Doucoure has stepped in with key goals for the Toffees time and again
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Abdoulaye Doucouré
signed for €22m from Watford Sep 8th 2020
Of course, we already know Doucouré’s fate, with the Malian due to depart at the end of month. There was plenty of speculation as to whether the midfielder would extend his five-year stay at Everton, but it was apparent before it was made official that his time was up, given his emotional reaction after the Southampton game, when he waved farewell to Goodison and - so it proved - the club. Moyes was keen to retain the 32-year-old, who he saw as a key component every bit as much as did his predecessor in the managerial dugout, Dyche, but this could not be justified on his current wages, which are amongst the highest in the squad.
Doucouré is a player who splits fan opinion, though this may largely be a function of him being played out of position, as an attacking midfielder during the second half of his Blues career, in which he’s contributed some crucial goals, but where his lack of technical skills has been highlighted, causing much frustration. Managers prize his industry and pressing ability, however, in this more advanced role. But, the decision was made to offer him a new contract which fell short of his expectations, so Moyes will have to learn to do without the man he started in all but two of the league games in which the player was available.
Verdict: retain (reduced terms); released
Newcastle United FC v Everton FC - Premier League Photo by Scott Llewellyn | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
João Virgínia
signed for undisclosed terms from Arsenal Aug 3 2018
The Portuguese goalkeeper only managed two appearances for the Toffees last term, both in the early rounds of the cup competitions. Virgínia has looked quite solid on the rare outings that he’s been given for the senior team, but in a couple of developmental loans a few years ago - in his homeland and in the Netherlands - he didn’t display the potential to indicate that he could be a starting Premier League stopper. With Jordan Pickford in imperious form and opportunities limited, at 25 it’s best for his career for him to move on and find a club for whom he will play regularly.
Verdict: release(d)
Everton v Crystal Palace - Premier League A diving DCL scores one of the most important goals in the club’s recent history
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Dominic Calvert-Lewin
signed for €1.8m from Sheffield United Aug 31st 2016
A saga which has been ongoing now for almost a year, it now seems probable that Calvert-Lewin’s long stint at the Blues is coming to a close. The club had tried to generate a fee for the striker last summer, with a move to Newcastle United breaking down, for reasons which still remain unclear. A contract was offered to the player - presumably on existing terms - but not accepted, with the forward appearing to be looking towards exiting at the end of the campaign. In January, it seemed positive for DCL, who’d enjoyed the longest spell free from significant injury for several years and would no doubt attract interest as a free agent.
The change of manager briefly rekindled hopes that Calvert-Lewin may re-sign, seeing as he’d clearly not enjoyed the thankless task of leading the line in Dyche’s system. However, a hamstring injury, sustained shortly after the Scot’s return put the striker out for three months, during which Beto hit a strong run of scoring form. Talks are still ongoing, but DCL has scored just 12 non-penalty league goals in four seasons, in three of which he’s suffered significant injury, so it’d be puzzling if he was seen as anything other than a backup option at this point. Better to cut the cord, thank him for his services, and for both player and club to go their separate ways.
Verdict: release
Salford City v Everton - Pre-Season Friendly Maupay’s social media antics have led to a hate-hate relationship with the fanbase
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Neal Maupay
signed for €11.8m from Brighton, Aug 26th 2022
The unpopular Frenchman is still a Blues player until the end of the month, despite spending the whole season on loan at Marseille, an arrangement which wisely included a mandatory buy option. So, in an unusual situation the Toffees will bank a tidy €4m fee for a player whose contract has actually expired. Other than some odd social media baiting from the striker, who enjoyed a positive start at OM before losing his spot in the team later in the campaign, most fans have long ago consigned his forlorn spell at Everton to the history books.
Verdict: released (sold)
Coventry City v Everton - Pre-Season Friendly - Coventry Building Society Arena Goodbye Mason
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Mason Holgate
signed for €1.4m from Barnsley, Aug 13th 2015
Like Maupay, the defender’s inclusion here is for completion purposes, considering his last game in a Royal Blue shirt was way back in May 2023. Since, Holgate has been farmed out on loan at Southampton, Sheffield United and finally, Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion — where he spent the entirety of last season. It’s easy to forget, that early in his Everton career the 28-year-old was earning favourable comparisons to John Stones and envisaged as a future captain, so his decline has been as precipitous as it is puzzling. He departs having made 150 appearances for the Toffees.
Verdict: release(d)
Statistics supplied courtesy oftransfermarkt.com