11 players who could leave Everton as Kevin Thelwell makes honest admission

Sean Dyche could be left with fewer than half his current squad with a Goodison Park exodus on the horizon amid the ongoing takeover saga

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell has admitted “players will be sold” as the club look to prioritise long-term stability over short-term success.

This could result in Sean Dyche losing as much as half his current first-team squad, with at least 11 players up for sale or out of contract.

The scope of the resulting overhaul will likely be heavily dictated by the Toffees’ ongoing takeover saga.

A deal with prospective buyers 777 Partners is set to be broken off in the coming days due to concerns over their financial viability, meaning the club could feasibly go into administration before the end of the season.

Any summer signings will likely be contingent on if and when a new deal is secured, with majority owner Farhad Moshiri reticent to add to the £750m he has already invested in the club.

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In a letter to fans, Thelwell said: “The reality is, given the regulations in place and the club’s current financial position, we have to trade well.

“Whilst we want to ensure the team is as competitive as possible, we cannot lose sight of our central objective to protect the long-term stability of the club.

“That does mean players will be sold, and also that every tool at our disposal will be used to secure new additions to the squad, including utilisation of the loan market.”

Here’s a list of 11 players who could leave the club this summer as a result.

Amadou Onana

Onana is one of Everton’s most valuable current assets, a supremely talented young central midfielder who has been crucial to the Toffees’ survival this season.

The 22-year-old is a long-term Arsenal and Newcastle target, with Barcelona and Manchester United also linked.

And it seems likely one of those clubs will stump up the £50m asking price this summer, which Everton may be forced to reduce in order to raise funds for their rebuild elsewhere.

Andre Gomes

Gomes has been one of several expensive albatrosses round Everton’s neck in recent years, playing just 72 league games in the five years since signing from Barcelona for £22.5m.

He has earned a reported £120,000 every week of that stint, a remnant of the shocking mismanagement which resulted in Everton being deducted eight points for breaching financial regulations this season.

Having started just five Premier League games this season, there is no chance of Gomes’s massive contract being renewed when it expires in June.

Andy Lonergan

The most low-key of the potential exits, 40-year-old goalkeeper Andy Lonergan has never played for Everton in a competitive game and will certainly leave when his contract expires this summer.

Arnaut Danjuma

Considering how long Everton have pursued Danjuma for, his loan spell on Merseyside has been a shocking disappointment.

The Dutch international has scored just twice in all competitions this season and will head back to Tottenham in the summer with no chance of a Goodison Park return.

Ashley Young