Sign, sell, avoid - Everton next transfers as Yankuba Minteh and Dominic Calvert-Lewin assessed

This was always going to be a busy summer for Everton.

Regardless of the club’s financial situation, these crucial months represent an important opportunity for director of football Kevin Thelwell to add depth to what is a threadbare squad. With the departure of more players on big deals that were agreed before his arrival, there is also greater room for him to continue to reshape this group.

Managing those players still at his disposal is not easy, either. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is hugely valuable to Everton but if he opts against signing a new contract then the club will have to weigh the risk of losing a key man for no fee in 12 months or taking the money and trying to find a replacement now. Then there is the job of dealing with the interest in Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana, which we have already seen - as well as juggling all of this while trying to stay on top of the Profit and Sustainability Regulations [PSR].

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SIGN

Everton have moved forward on several key deals already. The signing of Tim Iroegbunam from Aston Villa came as a surprise - just as Villa’s interest in Lewis Dobbin did. Now deals have been completed in both directions. For Everton, Iroegbunam is a useful capture. Sean Dyche likes to play with three in the middle but has little depth in that position - even less with Andre Gomes not being offered a new deal and academy prospect Lewis Warrington also set to depart without an opportunity to help out in that department. The 20-year-old may not quite be ready for a big role but could have the opportunity to act as cover and grow from there. Should Amadou Onana depart, and there is interest in him, Everton may well need another option in the middle but Iroegbunam is a good start.

Another piece of solid work is the deal that is advancing towards Jack Harrison returning on another loan from Leeds United. He enjoyed his time at Everton last season, Dyche trusts him and the Blues are desperately short of wide options with Dobbin’s exit leaving Dwight McNeil as the only wide player at the club. It would be helpful if there could be further additions out wide, with pace sorely lacking at the club. It is for this reason the links to Yankuba Minteh this weekend are welcome. He would represent the acquisition of a young player who has first team experience and the potential to develop into a star. Any move is only likely to be possible should Dominic Calvert-Lewin depart to Minteh’s club, Newcastle United, allowing room for negotiations that might make any switch easier. That would be a major risk for Everton, though Thelwell’s position becomes tough should the striker decide not to sign the new deal being offered to him. Whether or not Calvert-Lewin goes, I like the idea of the club looking at Iliman Ndiaye over at Marseille. He has long been on the club’s radar and could be a really useful option in the support striker role, allowing Abdoulaye Doucoure to provide support deeper in the midfield. He could be handy behind Calvert-Lewin if he remained on Merseyside - or even instead of him up front should he depart.

SELL

Amadou Onana is an immensely gifted player who remains of value to Everton. But there is a clear understanding that he envisages a step up in his career at some point in the coming years. “In previous tournaments you have seen that the players who did well take the step higher to the top clubs. That's something I'm striving for. I feel like showing myself at the European summit. This European Championship is the stage," he said to Het Laatse Nieuws recently.

As it stands, he is not one of Dyche’s core players - we saw that in April when he did not start in any of the three games in the week of wins that re-defined the end of Everton’s season. There is a sense that Everton do not play a style that suits him and that is unlikely to change in the near future. Clubs are interested in him and should a serious bid be made then a deal that benefits both sides might be possible, with a hefty fee being useful for Everton from a PSR perspective. I believe Everton are stronger with Onana in the squad and that he will have a successful career - but if a big money offer was to come in then it may be pragmatic to accept.

Everton’s PSR position could be helped by smaller sales - as we have seen with that of Lewis Dobbin. Two players whose futures are really uncertain at Everton are Neal Maupay and Mason Holgate. Both spent last season on loan and it is difficult to see either making their way into the heart of Dyche’s plans and so I would expect the club to seriously consider offers for either, with Brentford still having the option to return for Maupay after his loan there last season.

AVOID

What Everton must avoid doing is leaving themselves having to do too much in the transfer window with the limited resources at their disposal. Work to stop this from happening has already been carried out, with Seamus Coleman and Idrissa Gueye extending their stays on Merseyside and Ashley Young looking likely to do the same.

Should a firm bid be made for Calvert-Lewin then it would place Everton in a tough position if he chooses not to sign a new deal. The reality is that they would not be able to replace his quality or experience with the resources they have this summer. Therefore any sale should only be contemplated if Everton are confident they will - whether through the fee they receive or through negotiations for a player from the buying club - not be left too vulnerable on the goalscoring front. They should also continue to avoid being bullied over Jarrad Branthwaite and refuse to allow Manchester United to force through a sale that does not, at the very least, significantly benefit the club.