View: Everton must strengthen three key areas this summer
With Everton still very much in the race for Champions League qualification this season, there is a real chance that fans of the club could see yet another transformative transfer window this summer.
The Blues haven’t yet secured their qualification to continental competition but after beating Liverpool on Saturday they’ll be hoping to keep that momentum up throughout the second half of the season.
Whether the Toffees are able to break into the top four or not, it appears as though the club are likely to spend heavily in the transfer market once again this summer as they look to continually developing under Carlo Ancelotti.
However those resources aren’t limitless, so we at Goodison News have looked into exactly which areas on the pitch the Everton board should be focused on strengthening.
Goalkeeper
First and foremost, Everton need to sort out their goalkeeper situation.
Neither Jordan Pickford or Robin Olsen have thus far been able to solidify themselves as the undisputed starting choice for the Blues, and while both are capable of individual heroics, neither is consistent enough to prevent Everton from looking elsewhere.
Ancelotti would be best suited cutting his losses on Olsen’s loan deal and looking for a more permanent replacement for England international Pickford, but just who he decides to consider could be anyone’s guess.
Granada shot-stopper Rui Silva could be an option, with the goalkeeper set to leave the Liga club in the summer amid Everton interest, but ultimately Everton may need to commit significant resources if that’s what it takes to find their new number one.
Right-back
Mason Holgate isn’t a natural full-back, Jonjoe Kenny isn’t the answer and Seamus Coleman is approaching the end of his time at the top level. All these factors add up to Everton needed a right sided full-back in the summer.
Max Aarons has recently cropped back up as someone on Everton’s radar while Zeki Celik has repeatedly been mentioned as an option, with both young defender’s representing the profile that the Toffees should be looking for.
Whether either of the duo are realistic targets remains to be seen, but Everton must look to find a long-term solution in that position with their resources this summer.
Wide right
James Rodriguez, Alex Iwobi and Bernard have each had a crack at playing right wing this season, though none of them are specialised at playing on that side of the field.
Marcel Brands mentioned in an AGM in January 2020 that the Toffees needed a right-sided forward, and though James was subsequently brought to the club, he surely wasn’t the player that Everton’s Director of Football was talking about.
Should the Blues wish to compete in Europe they will need to find someone who can dominate the right side and link up with whoever is playing right-back, and if it requires a fair amount of money to find that player then so be it.
In other Everton news, James Rodriguez has insisted that he is happy at Everton despite recent speculation claiming the contrary.