Everton contract priorities: Harrison Armstrong and 'freak' defender among them
Everton should reward Harrison Armstrong with a new contract soon.
At one point, it looked like the Toffees would cash in on the young midfielder in the summer, but fan pressure certainly played a role in stopping his exit.
David Moyes is now relying heavily on the 19-year-old and he has formed an impressive partnership with James Garner in the double pivot.
Armstrong's current contract at Hill Dickinson Stadium expires in 2028 and Everton should secure his future to avoid losing him for cheap.
The England youth international has shown immense potential at the Blues and it wouldn't be surprising to see top Premier League teams keep an eye on his situation.
Nottingham Forest were ready to pay £40million for Armstrong, but The Friedkin Group were forced to pull the plug on that deal.
Why Everton have defender contract priority
Michael Keane will be a free agent at the end of the season and the Toffees may decide not to keep him this time around.
The 33-year-old has delivered whenever Moyes has called on him in recent months, but it may be time to move on.
If the Toffees are serious about building a team for the future, then they should keep hold of Jake O'Brien.
Speaking on talkSPORT in March 2025, Cascarino said: "The lad O'Brien at right-back, he's a freak – handful, complete handful."
James Tarkowski isn't getting any younger and Jarrad Branthwaite has consistently been linked with a move to top teams in the last few transfer windows.
O'Brien, 25, will enter the final year of his contract in 2027 and could potentially look for a way out soon due to his lack of minutes at Hill Dickinson Stadium this season.
But that Merseyside outfit shouldn't let that happen, as he has the potential to be a future starter at centre-back.
Hill Dickinson Stadium loss on cards with Charly Alcaraz
Charly Alcaraz signed for Everton permanently for £12.6m from Flamengo in the summer of 2025.
After initially impressing under Moyes, the Argentine midfielder's influence in the team has diminished.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is ahead of Alcaraz in the pecking order for the number 10 position, while the Scottish manager prefers other options deeper in midfield.
The 23-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Hill Dickinson Stadium and will be a free agent soon unless the Toffees convince him to stay for longer.
Alcaraz is still young and can develop into an important player for the Merseyside outfit, who can't afford to lose any more players for free given the lack of depth in their squad and TFG's historic resistance to strengthening Moyes' squad adequately.