Three Everton Players Who Are Likely To Leave In The Summer
Everton have had a decent first season in the Premier League under new manager Ronald Koeman. The Dutch tactician took over the reins at the Goodison Park last summer and has managed to come good, leading the club to a 7th-placed finish and a spot in the UEFA Europa League 2016/17.
While they have managed to lay out a fairly solid platform to build upon for the next term, Koeman will need to build a squad capable of competing for the Champions League spots in the coming seasons. Ideally, he would have liked to keep the core group of players at the Goodison Park and build a team around them. But the fact that Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley – two of the club’s biggest stars have refused to sign a new deal with the club leaves Koeman in the transfer market.
Along with Lukaku and Barkley, few more exits are expected in the summer and here we bring you three players who are likely to leave Everton.
Arouna Kone
This one is the most likely to happen, as the 33-year old striker’s contract with Everton is set to come to an end at the end of the season.
Kone has struggled to break into the first team picture under Koeman this season and is unlikely to be a part of the Dutchman’s plans next season and could be allowed to leave for free. The Ivorian has played just 8 times this season spanning a total of 98 minutes across all competitions. The 33-year old has scored twice – both in the EFL Cup in 2 appearances that total up to 18 minutes of action.
It was reported by the Liverpool Echo earlier this month that Kone remains keen on a move to a fellow Premier League clubs and having previously come close to securing a move to Crystal Palace on deadline day in January, a move to the Selhurst Park may materialise this time around.
Oumar Niasse
Another player who is is extremely likely to exit the club is striker Oumar Niasse, who was sent out on loan to the relegated Premier League outfit Hull City.
Niasse never featured in Koeman’s scheme of things and was made to train with the reserves. He was played in the youth league by the Dutchman, before being sent out temporarily to the KCOM Arena. The 27-year old has managed to impress slightly with the Tigers scoring 4 goals in 16 league games in their failed bid for survival.
Another signing by former manager Roberto Martinez that has become a deadwood at the club, Niasse could be shown the doors come summer.
Phil Jagielka
The 34-year old has been an incredible servant for the club for ten years now, having joined in the summer of 2007 from Sheffield United. But, his spell may be coming to an end as per his own admission, earlier this month.
Jagielka found himself down the pecking order at Goodison since the arrival of Ashley Williams last summer, with Koeman preferring to use Williams and Ramiro Funes Mori at the heart of the defence. However, since Funes Mori’s season-ending injury, Jagielka found himself back in the manager’s plans. But with Everton looking to sign a new defender in the summer, there are good chances that he may slip further down the pecking order.
Jagielka has just over a year left on his current contract with the Toffees and having made close to 300 league appearances for Everton, his time at the club may well come to an end in the summer.