Everton have made numerous record transfers over the years, and this summer could see some more names leave Goodison Park in blockbuster deals.
With the likes of Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anthony Gordon set for big moves in the coming months, Everton could be set for some major paydays if things go to plan, and given the success of some players who have left Goodison Park, the trio could flourish away with Merseyside.
Yet the thought possesses a question, what would Everton’s XI look like had the Toffees’ kept their best young stars, with the Premier League side developing and selling on some of the biggest names currently playing in football.
GK: Jordan Pickford
Whilst Everton have had numerous goalkeepers take the no. 1 spot since the departure of club legend Tim Howard, none can come close to the quality of England regular Jordan Pickford.
A 2017 signing from Liverpool, the £30m arrival from Sunderland has had both performances to remember and displays to forget, yet it’s hard to imagine how much worse Everton would be now without Pickford commanding their goal.
RB: John Stones
John Stones broke through at Everton and quickly asserted himself as one of England’s most exciting defenders, and six years since leaving for Manchester City for a reported £50m, the now-27-year-old has easily asserted himself as one of the best in his position in the Premier League.
A 55-cap international with England and three-time Premier League winner with City, Stones has more than lived up to his reputation formed at Everton, with the defender reaching impressive heights since making the move to Manchester in 2016.
CB: Eric Dier
Despite growing up in Portugal and coming through the famed Sporting Lisbon youth academy, Eric Dier actually spent 18 months at Everton after joining the Toffees on loan in 2011 to join up with the U-18s.
Making numerous appearances at youth level for Everton, Dier opted to return to Portugal at the end of his loan spell at Everton before going on to become a regular at Tottenham and eventually England.
CB: Shane Duffy
Joining Everton one year before Seamus Coleman, Shane Duffy would spend five years on Merseyside before moving to Blackburn Rovers in 2014 before moving to Brighton in 2016, where the defender currently remains.
Despite a disaster of a loan spell at Celtic last season, Duffy has this campaign redeemed himself by impressively replacing Ben White in Graham Potter’s side, with the former Everton prospect even wearing the armband for the Seagulls on a few occasions.
LB: Antonee Robinson
After starring for the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic out on loan, many expected Everton to hand Antonee Robinson a spot in the senior set-up in the 2019/20 season.
However, the USA international instead joined the Latics for good before joining Fulham a year later in the Premier League, with Robinson this season playing a key role for the Cottagers in their record-breaking Championship promotion push, with West Ham now said to be interested in the defender.
RM: Gerard Deulofeu
Making your name in the Premier League before returning to your boyhood club in FC Barcelona should be the dream career for many players, yet for Gerard Deulofeu, this fantasy has not played out how the winger expected.
The forward was signed by Watford just one year after leaving Everton for Barcelona, and now at Udinese, Deulofeu is once again finding the form that made the Spaniard such an exciting player to watch for the Toffees, with a move back to Premier League even being reported.
CM: Ross Barkley
Once viewed as the next big thing from Everton’s youth academy, Ross Barkley showed sparks of becoming a real prospect with his boyhood club. However, a surprise move to Chelsea, typically, derailed any hope of the midfielder ever reaching his potential.
Now linked with a shock return to Goodison Park as well as the likes of Leeds United and Newcastle United, Barkley will be looking to revive his career after his ill-fated move to Stamford Bridge in 2018.
CM: Nikola Vlasic
Offloading a player for £20m after making under 20 appearances is fairly impressive business from Everton, yet four years after selling Nikola Vlasic, the Toffees might have made a mistake in allowing the Croatian to leave for Russia.
Now on West Ham’s books, the 24-year-old has established himself as an exciting player for the London Stadium side under David Moyes, and for Everton, a player of Vlasic’s qualities would be very helpful this season.
LM: Ademola Lookman
Scoring one minute into your Premier League debut against Manchester City should set yourself up for an incredible career at Everton, yet for Ademola Lookman, the Nigerian international is only now starting to make up for lost time after some questionable choices.
After flourishing at RB Leipzig on a six-month loan spell, the Bundesliga side eventually landed Lookman on a permanent deal in 2019, only for the deal to completely flop, with the forward now back in the Premier League and impressing under Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.
ST: Moise Kean
A player who is still in Everton’s books for now, the signing of Moise Kean looked to be one of the best the Toffees had pulled off in some time, yet fast-forward to now, and the Italian international can’t wait to depart Goodison Park.
Currently back at Juventus on loan for the season, Kean has struggled big time to adapt to the Premier League, and in classic Everton fashion, it is almost guaranteed that the striker will flourish once his departure from Merseyside is confirmed for good this summer.
ST: Romelu Lukaku
Everton’s record sale and a player who has had a roller-coaster of a career, Romelu Lukaku’s departure from Goodison has brought the Belgian superstar some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
A £97m signing for Chelsea last summer who now finds himself on the bench, Lukaku will likely be available in the upcoming transfer window after failing to adapt to Thomas Tuchel’s system, with a return to Italy being strongly reported in the previous weeks.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
