Journalist shares potential ‘blessing’ for Kevin Thelwell as ‘significant rebuild’ tipped at Everton
Joe Thomas has shared that Everton could be set for a potential “blessing” next summer as director of football Kevin Thelwell prepares for a “significant rebuild” at Goodison Park.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo on Wednesday (13 September) Thomas explained that seven players are out of contract at the end of the season – including the likes of club captain Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli and Abdoulaye Doucoure – while Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison are on one-year loans, leaving the Toffees with just 17 players of their current first-team squad. Mason Holgate and Neal Maupay would take that up to 19 when back from loan spells, though.
With the potential for a mass exodus following the conclusion of the season, the Toffees would rid themselves of several players who joined the ranks at Goodison Park on big wages and could allow Thelwell and Dyche to significantly strengthen their squad for the first time since they both arrived.
Thomas added, though, that for this sort of forward planning to take place the Blues will have had to secure their place in the Premier League early on in the campaign, to allow them enough time to identify which players they would like to keep on Merseyside and what sort of deal they can offer them.
Thomas wrote: “The signs point to director of football Kevin Thelwell having to prepare for a significant rebuild next summer. Should the Blues be able to confirm top-flight safety early enough to have a head start in preparing for the following campaign, this could be a blessing.
“As well as important dressing room figures, the summer of 2024 is due to see a swathe of players signed on big wages leave the club and, with the salary savings made by the departures this summer, this could create an opportunity to unpick some of the squad issues Sean Dyche and Thelwell inherited.”
Rebuild
The crucial factor for this potential Everton plan will be ensuring that the Toffees are playing top-flight football again next season. If Dyche’s side are operating in the Championship any planned rebuild may look significantly different to the one they want.
No side can allow nearly a whole starting XI of players to depart for free in one summer, especially when some of the players who are set to become free agents would have held plenty of value in the transfer market. While freeing up their wages will be a bonus, money will still be required to replace the outgoing stars should they depart.
That was where the Toffees were sensible in their sale of Alex Iwobi for £22 million [BBC Sport] this summer, when in 12 months he would have left for nothing, and similarly in their decision to allow Demari Gray to depart for the Saudi Pro League so late in the window.
For Everton, it will be about trying to find the balance of reducing their wage bill through allowing players to depart, but not leaving themselves with too much work to do. If they start next season with so few senior players on their books they will likely be facing trouble once again.
For the Toffees to conduct this strengthening of the side, they have to begin turning their early season performances into wins. If by Christmas they can create a gap between them and the drop zone, maybe Dyche and Thelwell can begin to plan for the next campaign.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have placed in the top half of the Premier League for expected goals from open play this season