Sean Dyche hints at Neal Maupay Everton exit as 2023/24 squad numbers confirmed
Everton manager Sean Dyche may have just hinted at the latest Goodison Park exit as the club confirm their squad numbers for the new season.
As per the official Everton website (4 August), four first-team players will adopt new numbers for the 2023/24 season.
Defenders James Tarkowski and Nathan Patterson will switch to numbers six and two respectively, with Neal Maupay losing his number 20 jersey to returning midfielder Dele Alli.
The striker has now been handed the number 13, although the switch does not bode well for his Everton future.
Unlucky number 13 aside, Maupay has been strongly linked with a Toffees exit this summer, with the 26-year-old emerging as a potential option in a deal for Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia to come to the Merseyside club [TuttoMercatoWeb, 28 July].
Maupay really hasn’t had the impact many expected of him since his switch from Premier League rivals Brighton last summer.
The Frenchman joined the Toffees after netting nine goals for the Seagulls in the 2021/22 season, only to follow that up with just one goal from 27 appearances from his debut season at Everton.
He may yet be in for a Toffees stay given Dyche’s lack of attacking options, with the manager already saying goodbye to Ellis Simms, who has left for Coventry City.
Fellow youngster Tom Cannon could also make a move this window, albeit temporarily, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury struggles are a real issue.
Summer arrival Arnaut Danjuma could be utilised centrally on his loan spell from Villarreal, with the former Bournemouth man also able to play on the wing.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are set for a financial windfall as “seven figure” news emerges regarding the Merseyside club.