Another season ends and another summer of speculation and gossip is imminent. As usual, Everton have no money and seemingly no chance of luring the sort of quality players the team needs to push on.
Well, not necessarily. Despite being one of the smallest squads in the Premiership, Everton have several players that could be offloaded to raise funds. As this seems the only option for David Moyes bearing in mind Bill Kenwright’s inability to attract investment, it is worth examining just who could be sold for how much money.
Firstly, James Vaughan was sold to Norwich this week. His reported £2.5m fee is a good addition to the coffers as would be any money raised from offloading Joseph Yobo to Fenerbache for anything near the £6m release clause stipulated in his loan agreement.
In truth, it is very unlikely the full amount will be paid but a compromise between this and Fenerbache’s derisory £2m offer would see Everton pocket £6-7m from these two players. With both having been practically forgotten about on loan all season, the squad would not in the slightest feel their absence.
The third first team player to have been loaned out this year is Yakubu. A fantastic goal-scorer in his day, he has fallen by the wayside of late. His 11 goals and five assists for Leicester should at least up his asking price which will be vastly below the £11.25m Everton paid for him. With Leicester apparently baulking at Yakubu’s £35,000 per week wage demands, Moyes may have to sell him elsewhere, but either way, £2-3m could feasibly be raised from a player who is still only 28.
So that’s the loans dealt with, let’s look at the fringe of the squad. If you ask Everton fans who they would happily see leave, most would answer Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. And it is difficult to dispute this. Despite being given more opportunities this season due to Steven Pienaar’s departure and Mikel Arteta’s injury, Bilyaletdinov finished with only two goals and two assists.
Frankly, that is not good enough for an attacking midfielder and for a player who cost £9.5m. With frequent reports that he is wanted in his native Russia and even the odd declaration from national coach Dick Advocaat that he must play regularly to keep his place in the national set-up, Bilyaletdinov could be sold for around £5m making a total of approximately £14m.
Who else? A paradoxical player in Everton’s midst in Johnny Heitinga. Since his £6.2m arrival from Athletico Madrid, Heitinga has played in a World Cup final which will surely higher his asking price, and failed to hold down a regular spot which will surely lower it.
With the Dutchman often commenting on his desire for bigger and better things, it seems he has not bought into the Moyes mentality, and with Marouane Fellaini as Everton’s first choice in Heitinga’s defensive midfield role, and Phil Jagielka and Sylvan Distin ahead of him at centre-back, Heitinga could easily see himself leave Goodison Park this summer, and a bid of around £5m would probably enough.
The only other fringe player who could realistically part without affecting the team would be youngster Jack Rodwell. Despite all reports, Rodwell barely features for Everton and having not scored at all this term and only created one goal, he is clearly expendable. If Moyes can successfully create a bidding war between Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, Rodwell’s sale would add between £15m and £20m to the transfer pot leaving a total of between £35-40m.
This is a phenomenal amount of money for a team like Everton and could be spent on bringing in many quality players, all without affecting the performance of the team in any way.
It seems like a no-brainer.
