Everton have freed themselves from fears of relegation this season, with David Moyes going seven matches unbeaten in the Premier League after narrowly losing his first at the helm against Aston Villa in January.
Remarkably, despite injuries and the weight of poor investment over a number of years, the Toffees are playing with the most giddy sense of freedom, uncovering dusty attacking qualities ahead of what feels like a significant summer transfer window.
Jake-o'brien-beto-everton
Everton, 15th in the Premier League but 16 points clear of the drop, will indeed need to invest in the coming months, but Moyes' return has lifted latent ability from some previously flagging stars, and they might just have a long-term future at Bramley Moore.
Everton's revived stars
Word on the grapevine is The Friedkin Group have informed Moyes he will have considerable power in the transfer market this summer, certainly more so than his predecessors and indeed the club as a whole has had in recent years.
Everton manager David Moyes before Brighton match
While moves need to be made up front, the urgency for a new striker has been mitigated by Beto's resurgence under the wing of Moyes, with the Bissau-Guinean ace notching five goals from his past six Premier League matches after just four from his first 44 in the competition.
He's not the only one. Iliman Ndiaye scored three goals from five top-flight fixtures with the Scotsman at the helm before falling to injury early in the Merseyside derby. He was already the brightest spark for Sean Dyche but is beginning to look like a formidable talent indeed.
However, not all in the Toffees camp have won Moyes over, with one of Everton's top earners surely approaching the final few months of his career on Merseyside.
Who Moyes needs to get rid of at Everton
While Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison have improved since the managerial switch at Goodison Park, they are both loanees and may not be kicking around on Merseyside next term. However, neither is the man in question here.
Money-Cash-Pounds
Wage Burners
While Everton are gearing up for an exciting new era, the coffers are not limitless. Luckily, there are several high-earning strugglers who are set to depart this summer.
One of which is Michael Keane - and it's been a long time coming.
Everton defender Michael Keane
Keane joined Everton from Dyche's Burnley in 2017 in a deal worth a club-record-equalling £30m and has made 226 senior appearances, scoring 15 goals.
He's suffered from unconvincing performances all too often in recent years, with talkSPORT's Perry Groves even noting he's "always struggling" to make a positive impression at the club.
Michael Keane for Everton
Aged 32 and with just 23 Premier League starts to his name across the past three seasons, it doesn't seem likely that Moyes and TFG will renew his contract.
Although he's only Everton's seventh-best-paid first-team player, Keane still pockets a sizeable £80k-per-week salary, hardly justifying the earnings with his performances on the pitch - or lack thereof.
This is a salary that towers above that of Beto (£50k per week) and Ndiaye (£45k per week), further emphasising the importance of cutting ties this summer, as Everton prepare for a new era at Bramley Moore.
Bramley Moore signifies more than just a change of scenery for Everton. With Moyes in the dugout and TFG guiding from above, this is a new era, and the requisite changes must be enforced to properly enact the vision.
He performed solidly in the absence of the injured Jarrad Branthwaite in the early knockings of the current campaign, but the athletic young Evertonian is light-years ahead of him at the moment and only on an upward trajectory.
Jarrad Branthwaite vs Michael Keane (PL 24/25)
Match Stats
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Clean sheets
Touches*
Pass completion
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Ground duels won*
Aerial duels won*
Data via Sofascore
He's devoted the lion's share of his professional career to the Blues, but Everton are in the results business, and cutting Keane loose this summer will serve the greater good as Moyes drives the club to newfound heights at Bramley Moore.
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