Everton can unleash new transfer after key summer period as David Moyes influence clear.
Our Everton writers look at the current players who could benefit most from a full pre-season with David Moyes.
The focus is on transfers at Everton at the moment. Given the amount of work that needs doing this summer, that’s understandable.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s exit statement on Sunday gave the Blues another gap to fill in their squad, while the futures of Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane are not yet resolved. Everton are interested in deals for Thierno Barry and Kenny Tete.
But David Moyes will also be confident of getting more from the players he inherited last season too. With that in mind, our writers took a closer look at those who will benefit from a full pre-season under this coaching staff.
Joe Thomas
I’m really interested to see what David Moyes does with Harrison Armstrong. The starlet was man of the match against Peterborough United in the last game before Moyes returned to Everton but his departure on loan later that month made sense even if he had shown glimpses of promise in the first team.
The stint that followed, at Derby County, went better than could have been hoped for when he left for Pride Park and a side mired in a relegation fight. It was the type of environment that could have swallowed a teenage central midfielder yet, like with every challenge he has faced to date, he flourished.
Armstrong fought his way into a starting position in the middle of the pitch and was influential from there as Derby found a route to Championship survival. Moyes’ interest was such that he went out to watch him in action.
It is still very early days for Armstrong, who is just 18. Given his success in the second tier last year, and Everton’s need for options in the middle, he could make a push for a spot in Moyes’ plans. Moyes wants to take a look at him in the early weeks of pre-season and, depending on how that goes and on how the window unfolds, he could get a substantial period of working with him.
If he gets that, it could work well for both – we know Moyes is happy to give youth a chance and Armstrong could push on for a spot that would allow him to develop within the first team squad rather than out on loan. In the right conditions, that could be an exciting side story for the first year at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Matt Jones
Give Moyes made a significant difference to a number of players following his January arrival, there are a few contenders here.
Jake O’Brien was hugely impressive after coming into the side, while Beto also showed different aspects to his game at the point of the attack. With Calvert-Lewin now definitely leaving, there could be even more onus on the latter next term.
In terms of creativity, Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil could also benefit from a pre-season that’s maybe contains a little more focus on guile than Gaffer’s Days too.
But Carlos Alcaraz feels like the main contender in this category.
After so much instability early in his football career, signing a permanent deal with the Blues feels like a big moment for him. For the next three years at least, he will hope to put down some roots in Merseyside.
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