Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ademola Lookman and Everton youngsters have future under Marco Silva
Monday 18 June 2018 15:03, UK
Everton manager Marco Silva will give Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ademola Lookman and number of other youngsters the chance to be part of his first-team plans next season.
The club intend to improve the squad in the transfer market this summer - prioritising a new centre-half, a winger and a left-back - but they will not solely rely on new additions as they attempt to break into the Premier League's top group.
Silva is prepared to turn to his younger players and that will disappoint a number of Premier League clubs including Bournemouth, who believed they could entice England U21 Calvert-Lewin away from Goodison Park.
The 21-year-old scored just four goals in 18 league starts and 11 sub appearances, as the club twice changed managers between Ronald Koeman, David Unsworth and Sam Allardyce.
But he will be among the promising youngsters to get an opportunity to prove they are capable of becoming key members of the squad, as well as the likes of winger Lookman and midfielder Kieran Dowell, who both spent time on loan at other clubs last season.
After signing from Charlton for £7.5m in January 2017, Lookman spent the back end of last term at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, where he impressed and scored five goals in 11 games, including three in his last two.
Everton do need to reduce the size of the squad but that is also unlikely to affect Dowell - another England U21 international who scored 10 goals in 43 appearances during an impressive loan at Nottingham Forest last term.
The same can be said for 21-year-old Jonjoe Kenny, who made 25 appearances deputising for Seamus Coleman at right-back for Everton last season, as well as the more established Tom Davies, who scored twice in his final 11 appearances despite still being a teenager.
The club are looking to strengthen their options at centre-back, with Phil Jagielka - Everton's most dependable central-defender last season - turning 36 in August.
Michael Keane endured a mixed first campaign after his £25m move from Burnley, while Wales skipper Ashley Williams did not figure for Allardyce after being sent-off in the defeat at Burnley on March 3.
For a new left-back, Sky Sports News has already reported that Everton want to sign Germany international Marvin Plattenhardt, as they look to bring in a long-term successor to Leighton Baines.
While they retain an interest in bringing in a central midfielder, with William Carvalho and Yves Bissouma both targets, greater productivity from wide areas is key as they look to set-up boss Silva's favoured 4-3-3 formation.
