The players set to leave Everton this summer - and five who could join them

For Everton, something has got to give. Quite what that something will be, who knows, but after successive seasons in which they have avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth, Sean Dyche and his boardroom bosses will be fully aware of just how well they have to recruit this summer if they are to drag themselves clear of a repeat next term.

Before they can think about bringing players in, however, they firstly might have to clear the deck of some serious deadwood. Here are the talents who will leave the Toffees in the coming weeks, and a few others who could be joining them.

Niels Nkounkou - Will Leave

One deal that will definitely happen is the departure of full-back Niels Nkounkou. After various loan deals, the Frenchman has agreed to join St. Etienne on a permanent basis this summer. He made 14 goal contributions in 20 Ligue 2 outings for the club last term, and it feels like a deal that should benefit everybody. Will he be missed on Merseyside? Truthfully, no, but at least now the 22-year-old can focus on properly getting his senior career off the ground.

Asmir Begovic - Will Leave

Everton’s other goalkeeper will also be on his way out this summer. Begovic has been a decent enough understudy at Goodison Park, but at 36, he isn’t getting any younger, and it was no surprise to see him quietly herded off the books earlier in the month. Luton Town were being linked at one stage, as were Nottingham Forest.

Yerry Mina - Will Leave

The Colombian has been a good servant for Everton in recent years, but he was allowed to run down his contract on Merseyside and is now very much on the lookout for a new club. The possibility of a Premier League stay is still on the cards, with Fulham among those reportedly interested in a deal, but his departure represents quite the loss for a Toffees side who paid in excess of £25 million for the defender back in 2018.

Andros Townsend - Will Leave

Hamstrung by injury in recent times, and with a career in punditry beckoning, who knows whether Townsend will even bother finding a new club for the coming season. He won’t be at Everton, though. Released alongside the likes of Mina and Begovic, by his own admission, the attacker is probably going to have to go on trial so that he can prove his worth to any prospective suitors.

Tom Davies - Will Leave

Still only 24, Davies is a major case of what might have been. Having burst onto the scene as a teenager, the midfielder has stagnated considerably in recent seasons, but was still offered a new contract by his boyhood club at the end of the campaign. He rejected it, and now his future remains very much up in the air.

Ellis Simms - Could Leave

Another young talent who looks destined to go is Ellis Simms. The striker spent the first half of last season out on loan with Sunderland, was recalled in January by Frank Lampard, and has struggled to make an impact since. A whole host of Championship sides are said to be chasing him, with newly-promoted Ipswich Town particularly keen by the sounds of things, but wherever he ends the summer, it almost certainly won’t be at Goodison Park.

Jordan Pickford - Could Leave

Arguably more likely than not at this stage in the transfer window, Pickford’s departure has been heavily touted for quite some time. Consistently a top performer for the Toffees, as well as representing an asset who could fetch a decent fee in a financially testing time, the England number one has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham already this summer.

There is a chance that he stays put, but an exit feels like the most probable outcome. Replacing him would be difficult, but it could also provide Sean Dyche with vital funds in the coming weeks and months.

Seamus Coleman - Could Leave

The veteran right-back has been at Goodison Park since 2009, and was offered a new deal at the same time as Davies. As yet, there is no concrete indication as to what he will decide to do, and while you would expect he will stay put, there is a chance that Coleman could be on his way.

Jarrad Branthwaite - Could Leave

A hugely promising talent with plenty of potential, Branthwaite is already being touted as a target for a number of high profile clubs, including the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. In fact, recent reports have even gone as far as to suggest that he has told Everton he wants to leave the club this summer. How true those claims are, only time will tell.

Amadou Onana - Could Leave

Perpetually linked with an exit, the Belgian international has emerged as a target for West Ham in recent days. Like Pickford, Everton would hate to lose him, but again, if the money was too good to resist, they might just buckle under the pressure.