The Everton regulars in the Transfer Tavern will be fairly satisfied with the season so far under boss, Roberto Martinez.
While they currently sit in ninth place in the Premier League, they are only a single point off a top six spot, despite only winning a third of their 15 games so far this season.
They currently have a solid enough squad of depth and a striker in the form of Romelu Lukaku firing on all cylinders, so it could be an interesting period for the Toffees with the potential to strengthen the squad in January looming just around the corner.
However, with new faces coming in, there’s guaranteed to be some players that are no longer needed at the club.
With the January transfer window just a couple of weeks away, we take a look at 5 Everton players that could be leaving Goodison Park in the New Year.
Hit Martinez below to see FIVE members of his squad that may be off in the New Year!
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Steven Naismith
The Scotland international is first on our list of players who could be leaving Goodison Park in the New Year. Naismith has only managed 4 minutes for the club in the last 6 weeks and things don’t look likely to change as Lukaku’s form continues to impress.
Naismith has recently hinted that a move away from Everton may be likely as he seeks an opportunity at regular first-team football but it’s still a question of if Martinez still sees him as a valuable member of the squad.
That perfect hat-trick against Premier League champions, Chelsea, in his substitute appearance seems like it was a long time ago now and Naismith grows increasingly frustrated with each game he misses out on.
Kevin Mirallas
The second on our list of players to leave in the New Year is the out-of-favour Belgian winger, Kevin Mirallas. It’s understandable that Mirallas will be frustrated with the lack of appearances that he’s made this season, especially considering he had signed a new three-year-contract with the club in August just gone.
However, with Gerard Deulofeu and Arouna Kone continuing to perform well out in the wide areas, Mirallas hasn’t had much of a look in. The Belgian international has made 95 appearances for the Toffees and bagged himself 21 goals, which is not a bad return for a winger, but not good enough to make the starting eleven.
If Mirallas’ touchline frustration continues, it would be no surprise to see him wanting to leave and offer his services elsewhere.
Aiden McGeady
Next on our list is 29-year-old winger, Aiden McGeady. McGeady joined Everton in 2014 after being at Spartak Moscow for four-years but has never properly impressed in the Premier League ever since his move.
He’s only made 32 starts for the Toffees since making his move to England and managed a single goal, not satisfying reading for Everton fans. Since the start of this season, he has been completely frozen out of the first-team as Gerard Deulofeu, Arouna Kone, Tom Cleverley and Aaron Lennon all considered to be above him in the pecking order.
With McGeady eyeing up a chance to represent Republic of Ireland in next year’s European Championships, regular first-team football is a must if he wants to improve his chances.
Darron Gibson
Another one of the Republic of Ireland’s international players that could be on his way in January is central midfielder, Darron Gibson. Gibson joined Everton in January 2012 for an undisclosed fee and has made a total of 47 appearances for them in the space of almost 3 years.
Gibson only made one appearance for the Toffees last season and was ruled out for the campaign when he suffered serious cruciate knee ligament damage while on international duty.
Since recovering, Gibson has not yet managed to force his way back into the team since Gareth Barry, Leon Osman and James McCarthy putting in satisfactory performances in defensive midfield and therefore it may be time for him to move on.
Steven Pienaar
Last but not least of the players who could soon be looking for greener pastures is Steven Pienarr. Pienaar was once a regular feature for Everton since first joining them on loan way back in 2008. However, with the talent that has been brought into the squad, the former South African international is no longer seen as a necessity to the squad.
Since his injury-plagued spell at Tottenham Hotspur, Pienaar was forced to return to Everton again and with him now being 33, maybe it’s time for Pienaar to take a step down in the leagues. T
he winger has plenty left in his locker and could be an effective Championship player but without getting any game time, it’ll be impossible to impress potential buyers to make a move for him in the future so now is as good a time as any to leave Goodison Park.
