Everton have endured a truly dreadful Premier League campaign after such a confident start to the season. Big changes will be required on the pitch even if they do manage to survive this term.

Frank Lampard replaced Rafael Benitez mid-season, and while he managed to bring in Donny van de Beek on loan and Dele Alli, the former Chelsea man will look to add more players that are more suited to the kind of football he wants to play at Goodison Park.

If you asked most Everton fans what players they think should be moved on, they would probably suggest almost all of them. Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray are the only two to come out of this season with any real credit, whilst everyone else feels expendable.

That, however, is wishful rather than realistic thinking. Few clubs would get rid of 12+ players in a single summer. Rebuilding jobs like this one need to be managed on a phased basis, despite what supporters may want.

However, some players will almost certainly be heading for the exit door with contracts expiring. Jonjoe Kenny has done his best in recent weeks but looks short of top-flight quality and will likely leave on a free transfer. It is a similar story for Fabian Delph, while Cenk Tosun will finally leave after several seasons of Everton looking to offload the Turkish striker.

It also looks unlikely that Anwar El-Ghazi will have his loan move from Aston Villa turned into a permanent one.

That brings us to members of the squad that the board will have to try and move on. Lampard will need money to implement this rebuild, which leads us to a somewhat controversial opening pick…

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Selling the man who is arguably, your best player may not seem wise for a club in Everton’s league position. But it makes plenty of sense for a club in Everton’s financial situation.

The Toffees have to tighten their belts due to FFP constraints, and the well has run dry somewhat after years of heavy investment. Money for a rebuild has to come from somewhere.

Calvert-Lewin was excellent in the 2020-21 season under Carlo Ancelotti but has been plagued by injury since. This season. The 25-year-old has made only ten appearances this season but showed his worth by setting up Alex Iwobi for a vital winner over Newcastle United in their previous Premier League match.

The former Sheffield United striker has attracted interest from Arsenal, and with a reported fee of £40 million being rumoured, that money could go a long way to bolstering Lampard’s squad.

It could be a move that benefits all parties as Calvert-Lewin will be ambitious and will not fancy another season in a relegation dogfight. It will be in Everton’s best interests if other sides show an interest in triggering a possible bidding war.

 

Mason Holgate

Everton have struggled defensively this season, shipping 47 goals, and Holgate has to shoulder some of the blame after making 16 appearances in the league to date.

The 25-year-old showed promise early in his career at Goodison Park but has not built upon that start and is now the fourth choice centre-back behind Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey and Michael Keane.

Everton have Jarrad Branthwaite waiting in the wings and would be a ready-made replacement to slot into the squad.

Holgate’s contract length could make things difficult to get a decent fee, so Everton may have to take a financial hit to free up some wages and a spot in the squad.

Andre Gomes

After Gomes arrived from Barcelona, the Portuguese midfielder came with much promise. Sadly, he has struggled for fitness and consistency, having joined Everton permanently in 2019.

The 28-year-old has only twice completed a full 90 minutes in the Premier League this season. His time has stuttered at the club since sustaining a dreadful leg break against Tottenham in November 2019.

The former Valencia man certainly is not lacking in ability but does not appear up to the rigours of the Premier League, and a return to Spain may be what is best for all concerned.

Gomes has two years left on his contract, so it should not require a massive fee to get the Blues to part ways with the midfielder.

 

Tom Davies

Davies is another that started with great potential but has not progressed after years of managerial and squad upheaval.

The midfielder has not played since November due to a knee injury. Before that, he had only completed 155 minutes of league action, which suggests the Liverpool-born player is a long way from being a first-team regular.

It seems a long time ago that Davies was once scoring in a 4-0 win over Manchester City as a teenager, but the local lad is still only 23 and could have a long career ahead of him.

Unfortunately, it appears as if his days at Goodison are numbered. Could a reunion with Marco Silva at Fulham be what Davies needs to get his career back on track?

As mentioned earlier, several players could depart this summer. Salomon Rondon, Keane and Iwobi could potentially depart, while club captain Seamus Coleman, now in the twilight of his career, could also make for the exit door.

If Everton do manage to stay up and wish to push on from their debacle of a season, Lampard must show ruthlessness in the transfer market and move away from some of the club’s previous types of signings.

Young, hungry players need to come through the door at Goodison Park to usher in a new era.

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