Everton's first pre-season game is just a fortnight away and their first new arrival of the summer is through the door. As Finch Farm prepares for pre-season testing to begin, the club stands on the edge of the upcoming season. Momentum will quickly gather pace once the players are back, so the ECHO examined some of the club's priorities heading into July and the countdown to the summer opener in Dundee.
The Search for a New Right Back
Hayden Hackney was a welcome addition as the club secured the first new player to arrive this summer. The midfielder was the second signing, with the avoidance of relegation ensuring Merlin Rohl's loan move from Freiburg became permanent. Club chiefs are aware of further work needed, including talks about bringing winger Tyrique George from Chelsea after his loan spell last season. The ECHO understands discussions were progressing as the week ended.
David Moyes has repeatedly made clear the club is hunting for a new right back. Until one is signed, there is a nagging fear among fans about beginning another season without solving this longstanding problem. Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham, Raoul Bellanova of Atalanta, and Strasbourg's Guela Doue have been considered, though Doue may be too expensive after the World Cup.
Resolving Idrissa Gueye's Situation
Idrissa Gueye is no longer a Blue after his contract expired this week. However, there remains potential for another season at Everton; talks between his representatives and the club took place before the World Cup. After he left for North America, his focus was on representing Senegal, but their defeat to Belgium in the last 32 means his future will now be addressed. Resolving this is important as Everton build for the new season. The 36-year-old can still play a serious role, but given he will turn 37 weeks into the new campaign, there is a desire to reduce the team's reliance on him. His perspective on that prospect will be crucial.
Rebuilding the Dressing Room Leadership Team
The loss of club captain Seamus Coleman after 17 years with the Blues is a blow to the dressing room. Should Gueye also depart, the pair will leave a significant power vacuum given their influence. Important figures remain, including James Tarkowski, Jordan Pickford, and the increasingly influential James Garner. But the dynamic will have changed, requiring adjustment.
Ensuring Jarrad Branthwaite is Managed Correctly
It is looking positive for Jarrad Branthwaite, who is understood to be in a good position ahead of pre-season following the hamstring injury that saw him stretchered off against Liverpool. In hindsight, that moment was one Everton did not recover from, and his influence was missed in the run-in, as it was for the first half of the season. The hope at Everton is that his run of hamstring problems is not indicative of serious issues and that he will return stronger and more resilient. That would be a huge boost for Moyes, but helping him build towards the new season without too much pressure too soon is crucial.
Deciding the Plans for Out of Contract Players
Seven first team players are out of contract next summer, and their situations require consideration over the coming weeks. Everton must decide whether to offer Beto, Dwight McNeil, Tim Iroegbunam, Carlos Alcaraz, Nathan Patterson, Michael Keane, and Tom King new deals or risk losing them on a free in 12 months. Alcaraz's situation is less pressing given the club has an option to extend, while Keane's future has been left late in the past two years. If Everton seeks to raise funds this summer, knowing where they stand on those players is key.
