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Everton are unrecognisable – and for the better. David Moyes’ three-game winning run in the Premier League might have ended in the Merseyside derby but this is a coherent and dangerous unit.

Relegation fears are in the background. Of course, you can never be certain in this division, but the Toffees have raced toward the outskirts of mid-table and have a ten-point buffer over 18th-place Leicester City.

Moyes’ tactics negated Liverpool’s fluid attacking play, and while the onus is on preserving top-flight status until the summer, the new owners, The Friedkin Group, are going to try and make headway in the transfer window. Signings will be posted to the Everton Stadium.

However, there are going to be several current stars heading out of the turnstiles. Let’s take a look at who they might be.

The players leaving Everton this year

While TFG and Moyes have big plans, there’s going to be an exodus at Everton. First-team stars such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin are out of a deal at the end of the campaign, with a host of veterans set to depart too.

Calvert-Lewin is a talented and powerful centre-forward, but he’s only scored three Premier League goals across 22 matches this season.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, Ashley Young, and Michael Keane, all in their 30s, are also reaching their conclusions, so it is clear that Moyes will need to bring a range of faces to Merseyside, charging a project that will lift the club away from the bottom end of the division.

Moreover, there are a number of loanees who may see their permanent clauses activated, namely Charly Alcaraz and, possibly, Armando Broja. The same could be said for Jesper Lindstrom, but along with Jack Harrison, the right-winger has failed to register a single goal contribution with the Toffees this term.

Market Movers

Everton haven’t been good enough at cutting ties with stars who haven’t cut the mustard in recent years, but one former player departed at the right time, Tom Davies; the 26-year-old is worth even less than many of those soon-to-leave veterans.

Tom Davies' Everton career

Everton academy graduate Davies never lived up to his billing, chiefly due to injuries disrupting his development. However, the 26-year-old was once considered to be a high-class talent and did make 179 senior appearances for the side, scoring seven goals and supplying eight assists, before joining Sheffield United after the end of his contract in 2023.

There’s typically a frustrating overreaction when a young talent takes strong steps on Premier League soil for the first time, but Davies did carry himself with the swagger and certainty of a midfielder headed straight for the top.

Reports from 2017 – when he broke through – even suggested that Chelsea were keen on swiping the Toffees teenager and adding him to their large Cobham ranks.

The fact that Davies is now worth even less than Keane, 32, says it all. According to Transfermarkt, the Blades midfielder has a market value of just £4m, whereas the Everton centre-half’s price tag sits at about £5m.

There’s no bad blood between Davies and his former Merseyside outfit but it’s a real shame that he didn’t live up to the hype, especially since he was touted to become as good as one of Liverpool’s most iconic footballers.

Indeed, journalist Adrian Durham, speaking to talkSPORT in 2019, even went as far as to say that Davies could become “better than (Steven) Gerrard was for Liverpool” as he pushed for a prominent role in the Toffees first team.

In hindsight (or perhaps at the time for many) this seems rather silly, but Evertonians will recall Davies’ excellent start to life, showing such promise with his technical ability and energy.

Aged only 18, the English prospect put in a man-of-the-match performance as Everton thrashed Pep Guardiola’s nascent Manchester City side 4-0, dominating the central battle against none other than Yaya Toure. It made a telling comment on his future success, his potential in the Premier League.

Picture this: Davies collects down the right touchline, he’s in his own half. A quick drop of the shoulder and he’s away, driving forward and skipping inside. He’s going to get swarmed, neatly plays across to Ross Barkley; Barkley plays it back, Davies arcs it above Claudio Bravo, all finesse and composure. It squeezes inside the post.

Goodison Park erupts, making that special kind of noise that most stadiums are unable to produce.

You can see, to be sure, that Durham’s belief in Everton’s academy star, his vision that Merseyside had found its Gerrard regen – this time in Blue – had substance.

22/23

19 (4)

0

0

21/22

6 (2)

1

0

20/21

25 (17)

1

0

19/20

30 (23)

1

0

18/19

15 (10)

0

0

17/18

33 (20)

2

1

16/17

24 (18)

2

3

Davies fell by the wayside in the end, his Everton career tapering off year by year, fading like a pen running out of ink.

Keane isn’t exactly a mainstay in the current Everton team, had fallen into the fringes of Sean Dyche’s squad, and has been noted for “always struggling”, according to talkSPORT’s Perry Groves. It’s highly unlikely that Moyes will want to risk stagnation by renewing the ageing star’s signature.

But he’s still worth more than the once Gerrard-esque Davies, something that underscores just how far the injury-affected pro has fallen.

The shining light in all this is that Davies has returned to fitness with Sheffield United and has recently started six matches in the Championship, notably completing 88% of his passes and winning 57% of his ground battles, as per Sofascore, as he instils composure and control in the engine room.

The Blues will simply hope that he can maintain his form and enjoy a successful coming chapter of his career. It’s just a shame that he’s a shadow of the prospect who once suggested so much.

Everton struck gold selling £14m flop who's now worth less than Doucoure

He’s part of a long list of disappointing additions under the Farhad Moshiri umbrella.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 14, 2025

They are a side that has had success in keeping Smith quiet in the past

AAP12-Dec-20221:20

Rabada: Looking forward to playing at the MCG

South Africa have identified making Steven Smith play at the ball early as the key to keeping Australia’s most prolific batsman quiet in their three-Test series this summer.They are one of the few countries in the world who can claim to have found an answer for Smith through his career ahead of Saturday’s first Test at the Gabba.Smith made a century in his first Test against them in 2014, but has since endured a dry run. Besides Bangladesh, who he has played two Tests against, Smith’s average of 41.53 in nine games against South Africa is his lowest against any nation.Related

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Smith has made changes in his technique since he last faced South Africa, but bowling coach Charl Langeveldt said his team had a clear plan for the right-hander.”The key to most of the top six is the first 20 balls and to make them play,” he said. “Steve has changed. He is not on the move anymore and he has got a good base now where he is not moving around the crease as much.”I think it is going to be a good challenge for our boys. The boys are up for the challenge but the key is going to be that first 20 balls where we need to really make him play more.”Steven Smith has tweaked his technique this year•Getty Images for Cricket AustraliaThe fuller approach to Smith marks a change to how teams have attacked him in recent years with shorter-pitched bowling aimed at his body. That had prompted Smith to alter his technique in a way that would allow him to duck the ball easier and open up the range of his pull shot on the leg side.South Africa made a point to bowl full in their tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in recent days, with opening bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi picking up seven wickets between them.Most of their wickets came caught behind or in the slips with fuller balls, in a similar plan to the one they want to execute on Smith.”The guys got the fuller lengths that we want. Conditions are different in Brisbane to anywhere else in the world really,” Langeveldt said.Smith is well aware of his history against the South Africa, raising it in a press conference on Sunday. But he has stated already this summer that he is back feeling at his best, with unbeaten scores of 200 and 20 in Perth against the West Indies less than a fortnight ago.”I feel in a good place, I feel like I am batting nicely,” Smith said. “I feel in good rhythm and I am looking forward to it.”

West Ham United’s tactical approach has changed in recent weeks under Graham Potter. Despite their fortunes not fully changing with results, the performances overall have shown good signs.

Where Julen Lopetegui played a 4-2-3-1, often leading to a very disjointed press, Potter has made adjustments to a 5-2-3, aiding their off-ball work, providing extra protection in the back line, but also allowing them to be more aggressive in the press.

Potter’s usage of wing backs, his approach to prioritise his best players, such as Mohamed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen, and his willingness to play more directly into a narrow front three, have given West Ham a different dynamic since his arrival.

That being said, there is still a big issue in one certain area of the pitch, which has been prevalent for quite some time now.

West Ham midfield issues

West Ham clearly have a mobility issue in the middle of the park, and this isn’t a new problem from this season. Since Declan Rice left the club in 2023, the Hammers midfield recruitment has lacked the necessary ground-covering attributes that were lost when the England international left the club.

Rice was sold to Arsenal for a fee of around £105m in the 2023/24 summer transfer window, and his replacement signings were Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse.

During the 2024/25 transfer windows, West Ham have failed to address this spot, with their further midfield additions also lacking mobility, with Guido Rodriguez the main defensive midfield signing, who joined on a free transfer in the summer.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Rice

Alvarez

Soucek

Goals + Assists

0.16

0.06

0.26

Progressive Carries

2.45

1.09

0.21

Progressive Passes

6.59

4.01

2.94

Passes into Final Third

6.40

4.56

2.68

Tackles

2.17

2.52

1.55

Blocks

1.24

1.29

1.29

Interceptions

1.77

0.88

0.77

Ball Recoveries

9.18

4.69

2.27

Aerial Duels Won

1.02

1.36

3.56

When you compare Rice to the current midfield options for West Ham, you can see the mobility they are now missing, as Rice averaged 9.18 ball recoveries per 90 and made 2.45 progressive carries per 90, which is more than both Alvarez and Tomas Soucek combined in these metrics.

It could be argued that the Hammers did, at one stage, have a dream successor to the midfield powerhouse in their ranks, only to have seen him depart for a Premier League rival too…

West Ham lost their best talent since Rice

West Ham lost a “serious talent” according to Ben Mattinson in the same summer they lost Rice, with Divine Mukasa joining Manchester City on a long term deal.

The 17-year-old is already attracting interest from the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Ajax, having made 28 appearances for Manchester City’s U21 and U18 teams, scoring 14 goals and providing 21 assists.

The versatile attacking midfielder is left-footed, oozes class and creativity in the final third, whilst having the quality to operate in tight spaces between the lines.

His overall quality shines through, and he would surely already be getting minutes for West Ham’s first team this season – as Mattinson hinted at – had he stayed at the club, especially with the injury troubles in recent weeks.

Losing Rice in the 2023/24 summer window was bad enough, but at least the Hammers received a sizable fee for the England midfielder, which then allowed them to reinvest in their squad.

But losing Mukasa could come back to haunt them, as the youngster is showing he may well be the biggest talent to come through the academy since Rice.

Lopetegui may have already sold "incredible" Rice replacement at West Ham

West Ham already sold their “incredible” Rice replacement too soon

2 ByConnor Holden Feb 14, 2025

Wrexham have been praised for blocking out the "nonsense" of "film stars", with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney celebrating another promotion.

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Hollywood co-owners have overseen meteoric riseFamous friends are often invited along for the rideReadying recruitment plans for the ChampionshipFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A little over four years since two Hollywood actors completed a stunning takeover at SToK Racecourse, the Red Dragons have gone from being a National League club to a Championship one. History has been made while taking three successive steps up the EFL ladder.

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Every twist and turn in that journey has been caught on camera for the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, with a window to the world being opened up in North Wales. That could have proved to be a serious distraction, but Phil Parkinson and his players have fared admirably.

WHAT TONY PULIS SAID

Tony Pulis knows how hard the management game can be, having worked in the Premier League, and the Welshman has told of goings on at the Racecourse: "Wrexham have done fantastic. Irrespective of all the nonsense that's going on around the place with the film stars and all that stuff, Phil Parkinson has done a fantastic job as manager.

"Three promotions on the bounce, it's an amazing achievement. Graham Taylor took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First Division. John Toshack took Swansea from the Fourth Division to the First, but to get three consecutive promotions is absolutely fantastic."

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Wrexham are now generating transfer talk once more, with veteran Manchester United defender Jonny Evans said to be a player in their sights. Pulis added on the 37-year-old Northern Irishman: "If I was Manchester United, I would keep Jonny and stick him in the academy as a coach. At West Brom, I don't think any of the lads will argue, he was by far the best player we had there.

"He suffered with injuries, but you always get cart horses like myself who played who would just plough on, never mind what was going on with you, whether you were injured or not, and then you've got real thoroughbred race horses. Jonny was the thoroughbred and everything had to be right for him to play.

"We managed to change him a little bit in the end and got him going through a little bit of pain. But as a footballer and as a player, both upstairs and his ability, he's absolutely first class and he's a very fit lad as well. So if Wrexham were going to do it, I'd be saying to them, great signing. But if I was Manchester United, I'd find a place in the academy for him."

Australia keeper, who conceded just three byes in Indore, is looking forward to “maybe getting the broom out again” in Ahmedabad

Andrew McGlashan05-Mar-20232:19

Smith: It was about getting our mental state right

Alex Carey admitted he feared the worst after Rohit Sharma was given two lives in the first over of the Indore Test when Australia opted not to review for a nick and an lbw, but was delighted to play his part in ensuring the India captain did not inflict major damage.Carey’s stumping of Rohit in the sixth over, Matt Kuhnemann’s first wicket of the match, was picked out as a key moment by head coach Andrew McDonald who lauded Carey’s glovework on a tough pitch for wicketkeeping.Having beaten Rohit with one which spun sharply to beat the edge, Kuhnemann then drew him down the pitch and another ragging delivery presented Carey with a stumping opportunity but he had to navigate some significant bounce to ensure the dismissal was completed.Related

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“Instinct takes over when you see a ball bounce like that,” Carey said. “I don’t think many of us were expecting an eight-degree turning ball that early in the game. But it was nice to hold onto that and for us to get a bit of momentum.”Once the big screen showed the nick [in the first over], I thought he [Rohit] might have settled in for a nice 150 or something like that. It was challenging conditions throughout the match, but it was nice to get that one away and for us to get on a bit of a roll after that.”Carey was exceptional with the gloves throughout the Indore Test•Getty ImagesCarey was exceptional with the gloves throughout the match, conceding just three byes on a surface with uneven bounce, and has been impressive all series. Conditions in Indore were comparable to those he faced in the first Test in Galle last year when he was struck on the helmet by a Nathan Lyon delivery that exploded off the surface.It continued the development of his keeping after some initial struggles on the low surfaces in Pakistan last year and a handful of missed chances early in his Test career. This time, he had some bruises on his shoulders to show for his efforts.”It’s fun being out there, it’s challenging for everyone, and it’s great to be on the right end of this one,” he said. “Balls are going to explode off lengths and even Starcy bowled a half volley that exploded up, so you’re out there reacting to what you see.”In terms of our sundries, it was nice to reduce those and it can turn out to be an extra batter at times. You don’t really think about it at the time, you probably think back and go ‘that was pretty good’, but a few nice little bruises as well just to get the body behind it.”Australia’s lower-order strugglesThough Australia got over the line outstandingly in Indore, they did suffer another collapse, losing 6 for 11 on the second day when there was a more substantial lead in the offing. It continued a trend where the lower order has struggled to contribute, an area in which India have excelled, with Pat Cummins’ 33 in Delhi the only significant score among the bowlers. From No. 8 onwards, India’s have scored 307 runs at 25.58 in the series compared to Australia’s 84 and 4.94.”Looking forward to another opportunity in Ahmedabad and get down and maybe get the broom out again”•Getty ImagesIn Australia’s defence, conditions have been extremely tough, especially in Delhi and Indore, even for top-order batters. Axar Patel could easily command a place higher up the order, and his position at No. 8 or 9 highlights India’s batting depth. Even in the third Test when it ultimately did not make a difference, while Cheteshwar Pujara and Axar were together, there was a chance Australia could have had a much tougher chase.”I think it’s one of those things where it’s so hard to start for any player, so we’re asking guys to play in different environments,” Carey said. “I think if we go out and try to slog and get a few runs that way [and] if it goes pear-shaped, we’re happy to live with that. If they go out and try to survive for the [top-order] batter, we know that there’s a ball with their name on it.”We know that we haven’t given enough with the tail. We also understand that India’s batting line-up is very, very strong. So they bat all the way down to No. 10 really. We’ll have those conversations about how we can navigate and try to get 10-15 runs each more.”Carey himself also knows he needs to contribute more after four low scores following his 36 in Nagpur.”I had some confidence out of the first game and then getting out defending [in Indore]. Am I happy with that? Not really,” he said. “So back my strength and try to score with the sweeps and manipulate a little bit more that way. Looking forward to another opportunity in Ahmedabad and get down and maybe get the broom out again.”