Frank Lampard is set for a busy summer at Everton as he looks to reshape his squad ahead of his first full season in charge of the club.
In recent weeks, the future of star forward Richarlison has been the subject of great speculation, with both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea weighing up a move for the Brazilian.
Elsewhere, there has been plenty of speculation about majority owner Farhad Moshiri selling his stake in the club.
READ MORE: Chelsea consider Richarlison bid as Everton insistent over transfer fee
READ MORE: 'Can’t even imagine’ - Dan Meis makes admission over Everton new stadium
So on Monday, the ECHO’s very own Chris Beesley hosted a live Q&A where he was on hand to respond to your questions about Everton. Here is a round-up of what was discussed.
Joe: What positions are the priority for Lampard in the transfer market this summer?
CB: Centre-back and central midfield seem to be the two areas that the manager is looking at first and this would go along with what he said publicly already. He already seems to have boxed off the first area given the article I produced last week in which I stated that I understand the move for James Tarkowski is done even though it hasn't been officially announced yet. That leaves midfield and there are obviously plenty of names being bandied about right now.
MPBEFC: What do you think is the likely outcome of the rumoured takeover? Is there any firm interest? What is your view of Kenyon's involvement? Does Moshiri really want out and bearing in mind the amount of criticism of the club's lack of communication when are we likely to hear anything?
CB: .It's my understanding that the interest is indeed firm and it's also my understanding that it came from initial talks over potential stadium investment that developed into discussions over a potential full-blown takeover. Whatever the reasons, whether it's frustrations over the lack of on-the-field progress during his tenure and the relegation near-miss last season, the vastly different financial landscape caused by the global pandemic and now the war in Ukraine (which has also prompted him to end his long-time business relationship with the sanctioned Alisher Usmanov, who was a significant Everton sponsor) it looks like Farhad Moshiri is considering selling the club now. Whether the club does end up being sold or not, it could be a lengthy process and we must all hope that Everton doesn't suffer in the meantime because of it. In terms of Peter Kenyon's involvement, it would be interesting to hear what he has to say and what his potential aspirations are. He can get in touch with the ECHO to let us know. I'm sure we have thousands of readers who would like to be made aware of his intentions too.
Gripperfc : If DCL or Richi don't get sold are we looking at only free transfers and loans this summer?
CB: The club won't go into specifics over figures but with several big earners coming to the end of their contracts at the end of this month, I'd expect there to be a bit of 'wriggle room' to play with in terms of keeping within Financial Fair Play restrictions and some money for potential incomings. I don't think we should expect this to be a summer of big spending but if one of the two players you mention do go - and Everton would expect considerable fees for either of them if that were the case - then you would potentially have to spend a sizeable amount to replace them.
TimATG : Out of all the loan players returning and U23s/breakthrough players, who is most likely to stake a claim on the first-team squad?
CB: The player who I'm probably most interested about right now in this category is Ellis Simms. He's scored goals at whatever level he's played at but a lot of people seemed to think he might still be a bit raw for the Premier League. Saying that, he had a decent Premier League debut at Chelsea and then enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at Hearts in the second half of last season. I know there's interest from Scotland to take him back there but perhaps Frank Lampard would like to take a look at him first.
Spid: Chris, whoever takes over this great club of ours, despite the mess it's in will know they have to pump millions in, and will also know there's money to be made, what's your take on that?
CB: Yes, it's understood that if anyone is to buy the club from Farhad Moshiri then not only will they have to pay what he considers to be the value of the club but will also have to make sure the funding for the new stadium which is due for completion in 2024 is taken care of. Mr Moshiri is committed to delivering that project whether he remains owner or not. You've got to wonder what are the motivating factors, other than ego of course, behind why these very rich people buy Premier League football clubs. Given that the days of Jack Walker, the local lad made good at Blackburn Rovers, are now long gone, we can't expect the club to stumble upon some lifelong Evertonian who stood with Bill Kenwright in the boys' pen, to take charge. Therefore you're left with investors who ultimately want to get a return on what they put in and make a profit and they're increasingly from overseas markets.
Dan Banks : Do you know whether three at the back is being mandated by the club as part of the strategic review?
CB: To be honest I haven't heard anything to say that playing three at the back is part of the strategic review and while playing a certain formation at all levels of the club would represent a much more cohesive approach than what we've been used to seeing, I don't know how you can make any certain style of play mandatory. Personally, I've never been a fan of three at the back (perhaps it's painful memories of a lot of the attritional football under Walter Smith) but a lot of that stems from it being a system that the players were asked to play on an ad-hoc basis rather than something they were comfortable with. I don't get to choose the tactics though but Frank Lampard does and it seems he likes 3-4-3. Interestingly, Kevin Thelwell has also written a book called 'Coaching the European 3-5-2' although that was back in 2005 I think.
Hamlet53: Any idea why there is so much talk about Winks? And why does it seem as if both Simms and Broadhead are being spoken of as if their return has to be negotiated? Surely they are due back and hopefully their development will be recognised.
CB: Unless the club decide to sell them beforehand, and I understand that Frank Lampard is likely to want to have a look at both Ellis Simms and Nathan Broadhead, then they'll both be expected back at Finch Farm for the start of pre-season training. I'll be honest with you and say that I'm concerned to keep hearing Harry Winks' name in relation to a potential transfer to Everton and I'm far from the only one. I just don't think he's what the team needs in terms of revamping their midfield, and certainly not at anywhere near the price that have been mentioned (around £20million) and I'm far from the only one who thinks that way. I did an article looking at his stats from last season and while he offered a different dimension to Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, he didn't necessarily seem to be any better than them. Perhaps I'd begrudgingly accept Winks on a potential loan deal so Everton could try before they buy but I'm convinced there are better-suited and potentially cheaper alternatives out there who would add more dynamism and bite to the midfield - attributes I think they need.
