Assessing Everton ahead of the new Premier League season

One of the most successful clubs in English football history, the Toffees are currently enduring a 30-year trophy drought and have battled relegation in recent seasons. The club has been in turmoil after poor recruitment decisions over the last decade but it seems the Blues are now ready to turn a corner.

This summer, Everton have moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium on the Mersey waterfront and with former manager David Moyes back at the helm, there is optimism that the team can enjoy a successful season. This article will assess where the Toffees are at heading into a new era.

Where will Everton be Aiming to Finish?

The Blues have finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table five of the last six seasons, only staying up after winning the last home game in two of those campaigns. However, having had a reset over the summer, the club and fans alike will be confident the side can finish in the top ten this time around. A push for Europe and a place in the top seven isn't beyond the realms of possibility but more realistically, finishing tenth or above would represent good progress.

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Everton will head into most home matches as favourites while under Moyes, they will be solid at the back and could pick up a decent number of points on the road also. It's important to note though that the Blues have a horrendous record when taking on Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool away, winning only a handful of these games since the formation of the Premier League.

Who has Left the Club?

For too long, Everton were weighed down by deadwood in the squad and couldn't shift the players who were on big wages while not getting a game for the club. However, the squad has finally been cleared after diligent work in recent transfer windows. That said, while the blank canvas presents an excellent opportunity to move forward, the threadbare team will require a great deal of work to build back up.

So, who left? Well, number nine Dominic Calvert-Lewin departed following the conclusion of his contract. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ashley Young also left when their deals came to an end too, as did Mason Holgate after a ten-year stay, and goalkeepers Joao Virginia and Asmir Begovic. Striker Neal Maupay completed a permanent move to Marseille after a season on loan at Stade Velodrome.

Key Players Staying

With so many players out of contract at the end of the season, Evertonians were eager to see who was being retained and putting pen to paper on a new deal. Idrissa Gana Gueye signed a one-year extension, much to the delight of the fans. Michael Keane is also staying put. A player who has faced criticism for some poor defensive performances during his eight seasons at the club, he will be fourth-choice centre-back and so supporters have seen the value in retaining Keane as opposed to spending much-needed funds on a replacement.

The big and most important contract news though was Jarrad Branthwaite signing a new five-year deal with Everton. Described as a generational talent, the centre-back is a hugely influential player on the team's results and supporters were ecstatic that Branthwaite has committed his future to the club.

Who have Everton signed?

Having tied up and retained the players they wish to keep, the Everton recruitment have now set about adding to the squad and brining in reinforcements. Argentina international Carlos Alcaraz has joined permanently after playing the second half of last season on loan from Brazilian side Flamengo.

The Toffees then announced the signing of young striker Thierno Barry in a reported £27million move from LaLiga side Villarreal. The attacker is likely to rival Beto for the starting spot up front and arrives with huge potential having also scored goals for Beveren in Belgium and Basel in Switzerland.

As with every Premier League club, Everton are being linked to a host of names this summer and so it will be interesting to see who comes in. Fans reckon the Toffees need to sign around six to ten players to really compete in the next campaign.

How could the Stadium Impact Games?

Everton's old ground Goodison Park, the place that was home for 133 years, had a special atmosphere and with supporters so close to the pitch, it made life difficult for the opposition and was a huge plus for the Toffees.

Enthusiasts of Everton will hope the new stadium has a similar effect with the South Stand in particular creating an intimidating presence and the Blues around the ground will be loud and proud as they chant the team on.

Overall, this is an important time for the Blues and they will be eager to take a step forward to get the club back to where it belongs in the upper echelons of the table.