English midfielder Fabian Delph has moved from Manchester City to Everton in an £8.5 million deal as the 29-signing a three-year contract with the Merseyside club. Delph’s is Everton’s third signing this summer, after the Merseyside club signed midfielder Andre Gomes and goalkeeper Jonas Lössl.
With the signing of Delph and Gomes, manager Marco Silva has several options in central midfield, as the club seek to push on and challenge for a top 6 position next season. The Premier League side finished eighth in the league last season, three points behind Wolves who got the final Europa League spot.
How could Marco Silva’s Everton side lineup next season? Let’s take a look:
Goalkeeper
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will continue to be Everton’s No. 1 for the 2019-20 season.
Defence
Michael Keane and Yerry Mina will most likely start the season as Silva’s centre-back partnership. There have been reports that Everton could sign Kurt Zouma – who was on loan at the club from Chelsea last season – on a permanent deal. If that deal goes through, Zouma and Keane could be Silva’s preferred centre-back pairing.
Club vice-captain Seamus Coleman will start at right-back for the 2019-20 season, while former Barcelona player Lucas Digne, who impressed in his first season at Everton, will occupy the left-back position, ahead of club legend and captain Leighton Baines.
Midfield
Idrissa Gueye, one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, has been courted by Paris Saint-Germain over the last few months. If he stays at Everton, he will occupy the defensive midfield position, with new signing Andre Gomes ahead of him.
Delph will most likely be an option from the bench, while he could also be a backup for the left midfield or left-back role.
Gylfi Sigurdsson will play further forward as an attacking midfielder, behind the main striker.
Attack
Everton have a few exciting wingers in the squad, but the Brazilian duo of Richarlison and Bernard provide the flair to the Everton attack, while Theo Walcott lends experience to the side. We could maybe see both flanks occupied by the two Brazilians.
The Toffees are crying out for a new striker, but if they don’t sign one, 22-year-old Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for the Merseyside club, while Richarlison is an option as well.
If Calvert-Lewin’s overall gameplay isn’t bad, and if he can add more goals to his game, he would be the perfect option up top.
Alternatively, the Toffees can play new arrival Delph in a holding midfield role, allowing Gomes the licence to go forward. Richarlison can also play a more central role, so Walcott could then become an option on the right.
I like your article.
Almost the same team & formation that played some really good games at the end of last season.
As midfield backups I would swap Schneiderlin and Delph with Gana (hope he stays) and Gomes in some games to give them a breather. Also I would like to see Tom Davis playing the #10 sometimes to give Gylfi a breather in some games. I think he was over-used last year playing every game.
If we don’t sign Zouma (uggh) then do you think Holgate will be used as the 3rd CD? Or should he be a backup to Coleman at RB? Whatever position he will backup then we need to fill the other backup (CD or RB).
In my opinion Everton still need to pickup two more players, a winger to replace Lookman and a CF striker.
I would trade Cenk Tosun since he probably has the most value of any player that’s not going to play this season. They should also try and sell McCarthy, and the rest of the loanouts from last season (Niasse, Sandro, Mirallas, Besic, Martina and Bolasie) but I don’t think they would get much for them.
Also, I would keep Beni and give him another year to see what he can do.