Everton FC journalist Joe Thomas examines some of the most important problems that could arise as the team works to get stronger for its final season at Goodison.
Everton finished the football financial year without having to sell a major asset, which allowed them to overcome their first major difficulty of the summer.
The club improved its standing with regard to Premier League spending regulations when Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey were sold. These were astute transactions that raised significant money before the June 30 deadline for compliance.
The club’s summer plan will still be influenced by the Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR), as the upcoming fiscal year will also be a test of the club’s financial stability. However, a foundation has been established to strengthen the team that will represent Everton in its last season at Goodison Park.
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Consolidating on the team that would have propelled Everton to the edge of the top half of the table the previous season, had the team not been docked eight points for two PSR violations, has been crucial to building a solid foundation.
New contracts were signed by Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young, and Idrissa Gueye’s contract included a clause extending his stay with the team for a further year. With such decisions, Sean Dyche will be able to maintain a core group of seasoned players who he trusts and who will be vital both on the field and in the locker room at Finch Farm. Securing Jack Harrison’s return on loan from Leeds United is even more encouraging, as the wide player is another one who has gained Dyche’s trust after excelling at the team the previous year. Tim Iroebugnam’s holdings
Despite lacking Premier League experience, the 20-year-old midfielder is a valuable addition that will help shore up a position that had been compromised by the departures of Lewis Warrington and Andre Gomes. They were a part of the group of players without contracts who officially left Everton on Sunday. Iroebugnam, who is young, gifted, and has room to grow, matches the description of a player who is essential to football director Kevin Thelwell’s preferred approach of forging a more resilient team over time.
Thelwell should provide Everton more attacking alternatives as the team is about to sign Marseille forward Iliman Ndiaye. Everton has long been interested in the 24-year-old, who excels as a support striker. If he were to fill that role, Dyche would have more room to drop Abdoulaye Doucoure deeper into the midfield to help out in the middle.
Harrison is a great addition, but Dyche now only has the 27-year-old and Dwight McNeil as his natural wide men after Dobbin was sold to Villa. There is a lot of work being done in this area to add depth and, when possible, pace. Given that Everton has talked about the potential for teenage winger Yankuba Minteh to move to Merseyside should his club Newcastle United reach an agreement with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it is evident that this is a top priority. The 19-year-old, who shone at Feyenoord the previous season, was valued highly by the northeast club, therefore Everton’s chances of adding him to the team were lowered when Newcastle withdrew from negotiations for Calvert-Lewin last week. Since then, Brighton & Hove Albion has reached an agreement to sign Minteh. Jaden Philogene, a prodigy for Hull City, is another
Everton is keeping an eye on the winger, and the team will find solace in the owner’s remarks that he is not inclined to obstruct his young players’ progress—among them, Jacob Greaves, a possible Blues target—should appropriate offers come from Premier League teams. The right back position is still up in the air because Godfrey left for Atalanta, reportedly for a £11 million transfer. With Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson both experiencing recurrent injuries, the 26-year-old filled in at that position during the second half of the season. Young will also probably have to cover on the left, as first-choice defender Vitalii Mykolenko has now sustained three injuries in two months.
to be Coleman’s long-term successor is still alive. With money likely to remain tight over the coming months one option could be Ben Johnson, who was released by West Ham United on Sunday. One boost Dyche would appreciate is clarity over his squad heading into his notorious pre-season regime. The manager had to contend with a host of late departures after the season began last August and this summer would be keen to have plenty of time to plot his approach to the new campaign.
The level of interest in Everton’s biggest players will determine in part how the remainder of the transfer window plays out. Although Manchester United made an early approach for Jarrad Branthwaite, which the club rejected, there is still reportedly significant interest in the player. The initial offer of £35 million plus an additional £8 million in add-ons was rejected as too costly, therefore the main concern going forward will be reputation. Everton is eager to hold onto their star player and is definitely not willing to be pressured into selling one of the most talented defenders in Europe, even though Manchester United, under their new partial owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, insists they will not pay top dollar. The team might have suffered
head start it had over rivals for Branthwaite, though, with the start of a new fiscal year giving some clubs—like Arsenal, who have been cautious up until now—new life to their transfer strategies. Everton would need to pay at least £50 million to entertain the possibility of negotiating for Amadou Onana, a Belgium international who has admirers elsewhere, including Bayern Munich, where Belgium legend Vincent Kompany is the new manager.
Perhaps the most pressing issue for Everton to deal with is now the future of Calvert-Lewin. The striker is yet to sign new terms offered to him and is now in the final 12 months of his contract and so this summer represents the final opportunity for the club to earn serious money through his sale. Everton will need to work hard to comply with PSR in this new financial year, so a big sale on terms the club is happy with would hold genuine value. But any sale of Calvert-Lewin is loaded with risk given Dyche’s tactics are built around his availability and that Everton will struggle to replace his experience and quality with the resources at the club’s disposal this summer.
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