Credit: Imago

Aheed Abrar

Tue 10 March 2026 18:10, UK

Michael Keane is nearing a decade of service at Everton.

The English defender will be in line for a testimonial if the Toffees extend his contract, which expires at the end of the season.

David Moyes has heavily relied on the former Burnley centre-back this season and his performances have arguably gone under the radar.

Keane will leave Hill Dicknson Stadium as a free agent as things stand, but the Merseyside outfit may want to tie him down for the foreseeable future.

Jarrad Branthwaite unreliability evident at Everton

There’s no doubt Jarrad Branthwaite is one of the most exciting prospects in the Premier League, but there are big questions over whether he can reach his full potential.

The English centre-back has had consistent fitness issues over the last two seasons at the Toffees, raising doubts about his ability to reach world-class status.

Branthwaite is absent from Everton’s warm-weather training camp, with the management seemingly looking to manage his workload until the end of the season.

While the 23-year-old has brought stability to the Merseyside outfit’s defence after returning to partner James Tarkowski in the backline, the young centre-back is clearly unreliable in terms of fitness.

With Keane impressing whenever called upon this season, it would surely be a no-brainer for the Blues to hand the 33-year-old a new short-term contract to maintain depth in the backline.

The Hill Dickinson Stadium faithful will undoubtedly acknowledge that the defender has done enough to warrant an extended stay in L4.

David Moyes has another contract priority at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Idrissa Gueye’s importance in the team is evident when he doesn’t play for Everton.

When the midfielder was on international duty with Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations, Moyes was unable to bring the best out of the Toffees’ engine room.

Gueye’s partnership with James Garner has been pretty successful this season, and despite the Senegalese turning 37 in September, the Blues should look to keep him for longer.

The veteran midfielder’s contract also expires at the end of the season, but Moyes could certainly do with his experience next season.