The Everton Squad, 2021-22

Armed with millions of pounds and luxurious pelt atop your head, you are tasked to play Marcel Brands and create the squad of 23 (a first and a second XI, plus the extra goalie) this summer that is capable of reaching the Top 4. What do you do?

To make this vaguely realistic, you have at your disposal a generous transfer kitty of £110m.

This is generated by the following sales, free transfers and loans:

• Kean - £42.5m
• Kenny - £2.5m
• Bernard - £5m
• Walcott – free
• King - free
• Besic – free
• Bolasie – free
• Bowler – free
• Baningime – free
• Broadhead - free
• Tosun – loan
• Gordon – loan
• Branthwaite – loan
• Simms – loan
• Gibson - loan

To further add to the realism, you will be unable to name Gbamin in one of your sides because of injury. If you want, you can re-sign King for free and / or sell one of Holgate (£20m) or Mina (£25m). However, to our general dismay, no-one can be tempted to take Delph or Iwobi off our hands – or indeed any of our other players. They are part of your squad unless you can find a loan for them (that doesn't increase the transfer kitty) or ask that, like Oumar Niasse before them, they simply hand over their locker key and never darken our door again.

If it helps, here's a list of who we've been regularly linked with in the gossip columns:

CB: Demirel and Koulibaly
RB: Aarons, Dagba, Emerson, Celik, Spence, Tomiyashu and Trippier
CM: Rabiot, Assuncao, Svanberg, Anguissa, Soumare and Sarr
AM: Olise, De La Cruz, Luis Alberto, Isco, Buendia and Coutinho
W: Wamangituka, Bouanga and Bailey
F: Zirkzee, Dybala, Igor Jesus, Rafael Leao, Dike, Dia and Daka

If it's of interest, there are some notable free transfers kicking around this summer – including Depay, Calhanoglou, Aguero, Thauvin, Emerson, Vasquez, Hysaj and Maksimovic. However, these free transfers come with such huge wages then they knock a bit off your transfer kitty.

You don't have to use any of these players though; by all means, pick your own. But your player valuations do need to be realistic and the players you have in mind would have to actually want to come and play for a side finishing 8th(-ish) with no recent silverware or pedigree in the Champions League. That's my hint that you can't buy Sabitzer – and there will be plenty of Champions League takers for Depay, too, so I expect he's out of our league unfortunately.

Nice outline, Robert. I must admit that your raising the ante has priced out your retarded American football friend.

Looking forward to seeing you and Gaynes trade takes on various players and ways forward. I promise not to just take a back seat, I'll give it a go at times but I really haven't been watching enough other leagues to contribute much to the conversation.

A right back, yes... and he would have to be special with big boots to fill.

Left back Nkounkou should be trusted more, not liked the way he has been used, or not used over the past months.

A winger deffo.

Perhaps even keep King.

Above all l would like our players to stay fit for a change

Robert # 1 – the player I want is not on your list: Adama Traore. With him on the right we would look a different team. His inclusion would also mean that once and for all Richarlison would be played in his best position - on the left.

James # 2 – I think he is a talent also. I don't think we will see him back because I don't thinks he wants to be here.

I think the issue with retaining the likes of Sigurdsson and Gomes is their collossal wages. If you're paying a squad member £40k or £50k a week it's one thing, but if you're paying them 80k-100k that's really eating into your budget, and limits your ability to pay top dollar for other, hopefully better players. That being said, their wages are also a stumbling block for unloading them so we may see them stick around whether we like it or not.

One guy neither you don't mention is Delph, another joker on £100k plus a week. He will have one year left on his contract. I can't see anyone taking him off our hands. If anyone actually wants him they'll wait until his contract expires, but for a likely much lower wage.

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/everton-fc/payroll/

I'll have a good look tomorrow and see what I come up with!!

To answer why some (not me) expected to "reach the moon" was the simplistic idea that a manager with success elsewhere guarantees success anywhere – an idea that still prevails.

This season has shown the notion to be utter bollocks – there really is a lot more to it but generally people are attracted to simplistic solutions... and fit blondes with big tits.

We need to possibly add two or three versatile squad players thay can make an 'impact' of the bench.

Don't forget pace, pace, pace. Over to you Mr Brands. All eyes on you this summer.

Excellent point. We often seem to end up with everything but the thing we needed eg a striker when Lukaku left. I remember the Moyes era in June “we need five or six top quality players” by July it was “we need three of four” by transfer deadline day “och we may get a wee lad on loan.” Nowadays we sign plenty, just not the ones we need

The likes of Sigurdsson, Gomes, Iwobi, Holgate, Delph etc will all probably be here next season but they cannot be in the starting eleven if we have further aspirations, however we need to build a squad out for multiple competitions including the possibility of Europa League and therefore expect them to still play some part.

Made up nonsense.

He wears it the same as everyone else goes out there.

And he remains an attacking talent, under contract to Everton, we should keep.

Today's papers state that Fernandes at Man Utd, a fabulous player, is in line to have his salary increased from that same £100k per week. If that's true, just who the fuck at "project" Everton signed off the absurdly high wages paid to our lot?

To me, the answer is "Moshiri", he being the owner, accountable to nobody. If that's true Moshiri this summer needs to grow a pair after losing so much of his hard-earned on account of lousy belief/advice and substantially back the man he's paid the earth to manage us – him being a serial winner an' all.

I assume Moshiri deems himself to be a serial winner too. So prove it, Farhad! Spend big!!

No has-beens, cast-offs, mid-priced average players.

We need pace, skill, vision workrate and goals and spending cheap will just have us in the same sitaution we are in now with players who are not quite good enough.

Similarly, the right back while Coleman is turning in performances as he has of late and with Kenny coming back for say a season, at least, while it is seen if his loan spell has brought about managements required improvement.

As for a third or reserve striker, I would like Kean but somehow I don't see any proven or highly promising striker coming just to sit on the bench with the odd League Cup game.

And, No, I don't want to be Mr Brands but I wouldn't mind sitting in on his conversations with Mr Ancelotti.

Pace in the middle and out wide is also a priority. If we had had more of that at West Ham, we could have won that game comfortably on the counter, and others too.

On people who expected more from Ancelotti's first season, well we have the 15th best home record in the league but, if we had match Wolves (only 10th best), we'd currently be 3 points off a Champions League spot with a game in hand and 4 games left. Who carries the can for that home record?

Unsuprisingly, I'll take Buendia for £35M please, he will offer versatility (can play in the 10 or right-midfiald). Toney from Brentford for £30M, I like the look of him. For a pacey winger off the bench I'd take a punt on Olise - probably not ready yet but has the pace and ability to get bums off seats and is only 18, highly rated and will cost £20M.

Right-back, I will go for Aarons from Norwich who I will purchase for £25M but kenny will go the other way in part exchange. That's my £110M spent, however (cue Columbo moment), I will sell Mina for £25M, promote Branthwaite to 4th choice centre-back for the season and spend that money on Sarr at CDM, snappy, aggressive fucker in midfield.

Therefore, my team would be:

Pickford
Aarons
Godfrey
Keane
Digne
Buendia
Allan
Doucouré (or Sarr)
James
Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

The bench would have: Olise, Holgate, Toney, Coleman, Gomes, Sigurdsson

Forgot about a goalie... shit!!!

To everybody else the Talking Point was to get everybody talking about their different take on the squad. Personally I don't think our squad bad, top ten yes, top four no. That's why what we add in the summer needs to take us upwards without damaging the framework that looks like likely to get us between sixth and tenth this season.

I'll come back with my thoughts later when I sit down with a glass of wisdom juice.

Am I still not allowed Sabitzer?

I would sell:

1. Kean (40 million?) - he does not want to play for Everton. I think PSG will be flush with money after they sell one of Neymar or Mbappe and they will want to keep Kean.
2. Mina (20 million?) - slightly controversial maybe, but I think he slows down our play more than Keane, plus he is injury prone. He will do well in the less physical German/Spanish/French/Italian leagues. PSG might well be interested in him.
3. Bernard (5 million) - part exchange for Emerson, the Real Betis RB? Plus there were rumours that Manuel Pelligrini was interested in Bernard.
4. Delph (Free transfer) - I think there will be clubs interested in taking him - maybe West Brom/Fulham interested in an immediate promotion or one of Crystal Palace/Newcastle/Burnley/Villa. I would make a cheeky exchange offer for John McGinn of Aston Villa.
5. Iwobi - (10 million) Iwobi would fetch value from a German/Spanish team
6. Kenny - (5 million)

Incomings - I clearly prefer players with PL experience, because otherwise it takes too much time for players from other leagues to bed in.

1. Most agree that we need a new Right Back. I have been advocating one of Aarons/Lamptey, but I recently peeked at the YouTube highlights video (I know!) of Emerson, and he is a tall, athletic, pacy RB in the mould of Wan-Bisakka of ManU. 25 million (or 20 million + Bernard) - yeah, I will make an exception here about PL experience. Aarons/Lamptey would be my alternatives.
2. Creative/right mid-field: I have been very, very impressed by Perreira at West Brom. He looks like the real deal - aggression, speed, technique, goals - the whole package. I hope Brands breaks the bank to get him, 40 million (Alternatives would be Buendia/St. Maximin)
3. A combative box-to-box mid-fielder: I like John McGinn at Aston Villa a lot 20 million (alternatives - Dwight McNeil, Todd Cantwell)
4. Forward: We need someone who can give us 10-12 goals a season in addition to DCL and Richarlison. I have been impressed with Diagne - on loan at West Brom from Galatasaray. I think he will cost us about 20 million. (I am sure there are many alternatives, I just don't have any names)

Summary:
OUTGOING: Kean, Mina, Iwobi, Bernard, Delph, Kenny - 80 million
INCOMING: Emerson, Perreira, McGinn, Diagne - 105 million

Net spend: About 25-30 million

I suspect Carlo is keen to have Koulibaly, and if Moshiri has the cash, he will splurge about 40 million to get him, which could be part funded by selling Gomes and our 5th CB - Gibson.

This would take our net spending past about 60 million, which is a lot.

IF all this happens, the squad next season would look like this:

GK: Pickford, Olsen, Virginia
LB: Digne, Nkounkou
RB: Emerson, Coleman
CB: Keane, Koulibaly, Holgate, Godfrey, Branthwaite
MF: Allan, Doucoure, Davies, McGinn, Perreira, Gbamin
Forwards: Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Siggy, Diagne, Simms, James

How would a starting XI like this be?

Pickford
Emerson Godfrey Koulibaly Digne
Doucoure Allan McGinn
Perreira Calvert-Lewin Richarlison

With a back-up XI being:

Virginia/Olsen
Coleman Holgate Keane Nkounkou
Davies Gbamin Siggy
James Diagne Simms

GK - Pickford / Romero
RB - Emerson / Coleman
RCB - Godfrey / Mina
LCB - Demiral / Keane
LB - Digne / Nkounkou (+ Small if he signs)
CM - Rabiot / Doucoure / Gbamin
CM - Allan / Davies / Gomes
RM - Pereira / Brooks
AM - James / Sigurdsson
LM - Richarlison / Danjuma / Gordon
ST - Calvert-Lewin / Aguero / Simms

Demiral and Rabiot in a swap for Kean. Romero and Aguero on a “free”. Fees for Emerson, Pereira, and the two young lads from Bournemouth if they don't come up.

If we can move the rest on, then bonus. If not, get the kids out on loan and that are emergency cover I guess.

The red shite always seem to get good forwards at good prices, Mane, Firminho, Salah, the lad from Wolves. I don't think any of those players were unattainable. To be fair we tried with Moise Kean and I just hope we've identified more players of that type - ie potentially world class - whether known or unknown gems.

One outstanding playing from wide who adds 12-15 goals a season and this will also help Richie who needs service like Dom too. That's Richie coming in from the left like when Sidibe crossed them in.

We'd be top 4 with this one fantastic player added to our squad.

Maybe if any other cash comes in, a right back then another position. Holgate and Seamus could do it with less running next season if a top right sided player comes in as it stops the opposition left back coming too far as they will be scared of losing a foot race from the half way line.

Priority - brilliant winger like Harvey Barnes, Bailey, Traore etc.
2nd is Right back
After that wherever we are weak really.

Spend less money on kids who've never played senior football at any level. Branthwaite, Holgate, Stones, Lukaku, Calvert-Lewin, Kean all played professional football before we signed so we knew they had a good chance of being a player in a team in the top 10 in our league one day.

We can't keep shelling out and wasting scouts times on kids who play in the U18s around Europe. All the best U18s are in the professional leagues already, rarely are our scouts going to find a Premier League class 18-year-old in the Belgium U18s league as an example. If the recruitment team brings in an 18-year-old or above from outside the Premier League, they definitely should have played some games in a professonal league to be judged properly before handing over money.

A far as incoming players we have to assume that the cream (when available) will be looking for the top clubs first (Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea etc) and failing that, the best wages they can get elsewhere. It begs the question, what chance did Everton have in getting say, Cavani, for a season or two? No chance in my opinion.

Getting rid of some of the overpaid dregs that Everton are carrying is not so easy, hence all the loan-outs. Nobody wants to take on underachievers on high wages.

It's becoming more rare for the successful clubs to start promising youngsters or at least giving them an honest run in the team unless you are really something special, like Foden. These youngsters who know their own talent can become disgruntled and end up out on loan here, there and everywhere with some of them eventually disappearing from view, sad to say.

A lot also depends on the system that a manager wants to adopt which may not be suited for certain types of players who then remain on the fringe and only being used sparingly which doesn't do anything for their confidence.

Without doubt, Everton do need at least three class players coming in for next season but will it happen?

We can look to seeing the midfield improved especially as Gbamin may just be a continual sick-note player like Delph and possibly James.

Gomes, Davies and Iwobi are a little off the pace, in my opinion, as is Sigurdsson.

The attack is woefully short with just the two we have persevered with this season so that is for sure a position that has to be improved.

Carlo hasn't done to badly with and inconsistent squad but they still have a long way to go to be much more dominating.

I am pretty sure DCL got a new deal about 18 months ago which took him up to 50K per week, but yeah Bernard is reported to be the highest paid player since we got him on a "free" his agent negotiated the wage up plus a 45 million release clause -- he must have been having a laugh.

If this is true, it makes a mockery of Brands being credited for reducing the wage bill.

https://salarysport.com/football/premier-league/everton-f.c./

Those 2 or 3 players will position the first XI as good as anyone outside of the very rich 4 of City, United, Chelsea and the RS. The cavalry might still be quite weak though.

If Spurs sell Kane or Son they start to look v ordinary. Arteta needs a good start to next season or will be sacked leaving Arsenal in a complete mess. Leicester may find themselves overstretched by Champions League demands.

So we would have an outside chance of top 4 but it would take the continued underperformance of better teams. And also WHU, Villa and Leeds must fancy their chances too after further recruitment.

I hope some of the names on various wish lists do come true.

Four of them are on a tenner a week.
Evens it out

Olsen is highly unlikely to stay. Currently on loan from Roma and, due to that disgusting burglary at his home, he stated at the time, that he wanted to go back to Rome at the end of his loan. Hopefully he's changed his mind, because he's definitely made Pickford up his game and is a solid keeper in his own right.

Kalvin Phillips CM no nonsense tough character, a really strong, very good footballer, proper engine, never gives up, a captain who will drive the team to glory 40m
Diaby to give us some pace goals and assists from the right 30m
Emerson, Strong athletic right back 20m
Buendia 30m tenacious goals assists forward thinking attacking midfielder with a bit of an attitude.

Oh bollocks, I've gone 10m over the budget. Mr Mosh, get yer cheque book out.

For example, £5M fee in for Bernard? He's on over that per annum and no one else will get close to matching it so he'll probably see the final year out on our bench.

We could pay him off now but that will cost us £5M and we'll lose his services. So that could be a £10M swing on any transfer kitty. Maybe Mosh is happy to spunk this £10M away but I'd be surprised with all the invoices he'll be getting from the builders merchants soon.

The same applies to Delph, Iwobi and Tosun. Even loan moves will see us cover the majority of their wages sadly.

Several contracts do expire in 2022 so hopefully then we'll see more revolution than evolution but don't get too excited ahead of this summer's transfer window, please, or disappointment will surely follow.

Jon, I think Kean, Kenny and Bernard are the three we'd get a fee for. You're right about Bernard's wages but there were serious bids from the Middle East in January and I could see us getting up to £5M.

I agree with the rest. There's very little chance of other clubs spending good money on our crap.

Aarrons (going off others' recommendations on that one in honesty.

Koulibaly

Sabitzer

A striker. Can Kean come back and do a job??

I don't necessarily think its about offloading now. By and large we have or will have done that. That players remaining will be ones that by and large can finish around 8th. But they become backup. It's about what we build on top of that.

Emerson? The old Middlesborough fellow? Isn't he about 50 by now?

If I were to raid Leeds, I'd look at Rafinha or Harrison who I think is or was on loan from Man City?

Joe Willock has also impressed at Newcastle and would be a good option in midfield. Maitland-Niles, and Conor Gallagher are other players who were out on loan and looked decent players.

Young talent like this is what we need in our squad.

Anderson, the centre-back at Fulham is another who looks a player, should we sell Holgate.

Bissouma and Aarons added to that list and the complextion of the squad is totally different.

A few young talents like this, then a couple of more experienced signings.

And flog Iwobi, Gomes, Bernard, Holgate, Delph and Kean (plus the rest of deadwood).

Could you imagine the difference with McNeil, Olise, Gallagher and Aarons in the squad? Pace, energy, movement, talent and an opportunity to step up. And all first team ready too.

The only difference is Leipzig tend not to pay more than £20m for a player which would rule out McNeil and Aarons - but £30 to £35m should do it.

Simms scored 2 in Blackpool's first-leg playoff victory over Oxford the other day. 2nd leg tomorrow:

Link

Don't think we need a keeper Pickford and Virginia will be fine.

JJK has 1 year left on his current deal and unless we are offered silly money for him I would keep him as back up for the new stellar RB we are going to sign. Would Emerson be a good choice? He is young fast but has only 1 season under his belt in Spain and has yet to make his full international debut for Brazil so there may be work permit issues. Aarons is the obvious choice but there would be huge competition and I imagine he will wind up going for close to £35m. Celik from Lille would be my pick, 24 and a full international. Dalot available on a free would be an acceptable option.

Wouldn't sign a CB. Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Holgate, Branthwaite, Gibson, may prove good enough. It is a position we can afford to shelve for a season.

Similarly LB well covered. Digne, Nkounkou, Small.

What we do with the midfield is anyone's guess. Defensively I think we may be OK but I'm prepared to be persuaded otherwise. What we need is pace. I too like Pereira at West Brom. Calhanoglou from Milan on a free (although we all know it won't be really), Dwight McNeil from Burnley and a bit left field Harrison Reed from Fulham, really impressed when Fulham beat us at GP and a friend who is a Fulham season ticket holder tells me he is the one they would keep above all others. I think we need to bear in mind that Allan only has one season as a starter left in him and we need to groom a replacement, seriously hope it can be Tom Davies. Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig is a possibility 1 year left on his deal, €50m buy out though may prove problematic. Would keep Siggy although no new contract. Haven't seen any reason this season to want to retain Delph or Iwobi.

Up front, need to persuade DCL not to believe all the hype about himself and I hope Richy stays and has a great season next year so that we can get something approaching his true value, because we sure as hell won't if we sell this summer. I would go for Grady Diangana at West Brom, West Ham fans up in arms when he went last summer and when I've seen him he looks really good and swift, Fat Sam clearly doesn't rate him. Ivan Toney from Brentford is a definite possibility especially if DCL jumps ship. We also will have Tosun for another 12 months, unless WBA will take him in part ex. Ellis Simms needs to step up, he has the physique and the loan at Blackpool has brought him on. Leon Bailey would be my number 1 choice for RW although he will not be cheap. Anthony Gordon returning should be retained. Moise Kean can go to PSG for €50m and Bernard to wherever.

As for James - don't think Everton have ever had a more frustrating player. Undoubtedly a genius with a football at his feet but can we afford someone who will only play 20 games a season and gets left out of the side because he is 'fatigued' having played 60 mins in a month!!!!! Could we get a fee for him?

CA will not want the youngsters we all are proposing and I fear we will end up with the likes of Isco and Coutinho to add to James and Allan.

Did someone suggest Aguero - yeah right, in Carlo's dreams maybe.

So there it is my 20 mins as Marcel Brands.