Goodison View: Everton’s ’12 tests’ will inform transfer window
When Everton travel to face Chelsea on Monday there will be plenty at stake for both clubs, with Champions League qualification on the cards for either side.
Thomas Tuchel’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, while Carlo Ancelotti’s men are just one point and place behind, albeit with a game in hand.
Ancelotti has described Everton’s remaining league games as being “12 tests until the end of the season” [Mail Online], and that means time is running out for some of the club’s players to show the Italian their long-term worth.
Should Everton qualify for either the Champions League or the Europa League ahead of next season, significant change will undoubtedly occur regarding the club’s playing squad.
Ancelotti will need to bring in reinforcements to bolster his options and improve his depth of quality, while others will likely need to make way to free up space on the wage bill.
The Italian coach speaks of the “12 tests” as 12 opportunities for the Toffees to show what they’re about, and to solidify their standing in the Premier League.
However those same “12 tests” will also serve as 12 opportunities for fringe players to show that they can be relied upon heading into next season and beyond.
In that regard, the following months will inform how Everton should approach their transfer business in the summer, both in who they need to bring in and who they need to let go.
If Everton fail to secure European qualification then their plans in the transfer market will be much different, but all at Goodison Park should have their sights set on Europe.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues can find their way back into continental competition, but we do know that depending on how well the club and the individual players perform over the next few months, we could potentially see a very different Everton team next season.
In other Everton news, the Blues could be set to miss out on signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.