Everton's £140k-p/w duo now look totally finished at Everton under Moyes
Everton boss David Moyes will no doubt have one eye on the summer transfer window as the 2024/25 campaign reaches the last knockings.
Though a deep-rooted defensive understanding remained, Everton were almost formless in the final days of Sean Dyche’s tenure, rudderless.
But a now snapped nine-match unbeaten run in the league and some signs of exciting attacking play, togetherness, highlight the turning of a corner, threaded together by the uplifting completion of The Friedkin Group’s takeover from erstwhile chairman Farhad Moshiri.
With a lionised figure back in the dugout, the club’s identity has been restored. However, not every player has proved themselves worthy of a place at Bramley Moore next season. Some ties need to be cut.
The Everton players who need to go
You could field a starting line-up and leave four men on the bench, with the number of Everton players approaching the end of their contracts.
Some are more expendable than others. For example, centre-back Michael Keane, who reportedly earns £80k per week, is being shown the exit, having featured nominally in recent seasons and impressed less still. Replacements are already being lined up.
Abdoulaye Doucoure still plays an important part, but he’s Everton’s highest-paid player and, aged 32, is no longer justifying his keep.
The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Idrissa Gueye could still be key figures under Moyes’ wing next season, with Gueye, who has been in fine fettle, touted for a renewal, but there are two other mainstays who have to be swiftly sold.
1.
Idrissa Gueye
119
2.
Daniel Munoz
109
3.
Noussair Mazraoui
100
4.
Moises Caicedo
97
5.
Joao Gomes
95
Everton's misfiring duo are now finished
Neither of the players in question is a permanent resident at Everton, but Jesper Lindstrom, on loan from Napoli, and Leeds United’s Jack Harrison have both played regular roles at the club this season.
However, Everton have been a tad blunt in attack and both players have been culpable of poor showings in front of goal, both directly and as more creative outlets.
Combined, the disappointing duo make up £140k of Everton’s weekly wage bill, with Harrison earning £90k per week, Lindstrom £50k.
Given that Harrison has just one goal and one assist apiece in the Premier League this term, across 28 appearances, while Lindstrom has yet to break his duck in England’s top flight, it’s hard to say either has coated themselves in glory, or even sufficiency.
This isn’t to completely discredit their value. Both wingers are industrious and have performed dutifully across the campaign. Both have shown signs of improvement since Moyes replaced Dyche.
But Everton are stepping into a new era, need shinier parts. With Dwight McNeil fit once again, you could argue that the ball specialist and Iliman Ndiaye both deserve starting berths, with one shifting onto the right flank.
Given that Doucoure or Charly Alcaraz will want to play centrally, and indeed Everton will invest further in attacking midfielders during the summer, the respective loanees may well be staring down the barrel on Merseyside.
Moyes is prepared to be ruthless this summer, but getting rid of Harrison and Lindstrom after such underwhelming campaigns would hardly be a brazen move.
With McNeil fit again, the loanees might find themselves further into the sliding morass as their final hour beckons.
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