Sam Allardyce names three players who are fighting for their futures at Everton

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Everton have loaned out Ademola Lookman, Kieran Dowell and Matthew Pennington this season.

Sam Allardyce has admitted to the Liverpool Echo that Ademola Lookman, Matthew Pennington and Kieran Dowell are all fighting for their Everton futures.

The trio have all been sent out on loan moves this season, where they have played fairly regularly.

However, when they return to Everton, they will face a battle to win a place in the Toffees’ squad for next season.

And Allardyce admits that if any of the youngsters fail to take their chance in pre-season, they could be moved on.

He said: “Lookman has gone out on loan and there’s a couple of lads at Leeds and Forest and they’ve got to come back in pre-season and we’ve got to ask: ‘Are they good enough to be in our squad?’

“They have gone away on loan and have got to return a force at their Premier League club.

“They will come back at the start of pre-season and make an impact on this squad and say ‘I’m ready to challenge this first-team squad’ and if they are that’s fantastic.

“But if they’re not then should we move them on, should we sell them, should we send them out on loan again?”

Allardyce has already suggested that he wants to reduce the numbers in Everton’s squad, if he does stay in charge.

It means that a number of the Toffees’ fringe players could be offloaded in the coming months.

Lookman and Dowell have arguably had more productive loan spells that Pennington.

Lookman has impressed with Red Bull Leipzig, and Dowell has caught the eye at Nottingham Forest.

Pennington, meanwhile, has had an injury hit season while on loan at Leeds United in the Championship.