Despite recently pledging his future to Everton and insisting he is happy to remain at the club beyond the current season, speculation continues to mount regarding the immediate future of Kevin Mirallas.
The Belgian flyer also proved his value in the Toffees’ most recent league game against Burnley, scoring the only goal of the afternoon with a typically composed finish.
That was enough to secure the three points in a closely-fought encounter and emphasises the game-changing capability Roberto Martinez could be waving goodbye to should Mirallas choose to change career path in the summer.
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However, despite all signs pointing towards a key attacker leaving the Everton ranks, the club are in pole position to emerge from the transfer saga better off due to the potential permanent signing of on-loan Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon.
The presence of the diminutive wide man makes the transfer story, which is sure to keep Evertonians glued to their laptops and mobile phones over the summer, all the more interesting.
The general consensus is that if Mirallas leaves, Spurs will be his likely destination, with Mauricio Pochettino allowing the in-form Lennon to go the other way as a makeweight in the deal.
However, were Mirallas to stay, the option of Lennon’s loan becoming permanent becomes more remote as Bill Kenwright will have to find funds to get the deal over the line, although it is unclear whether the Blues could afford him if the North-London club were to bump up his asking price.
So, this is where a key question comes into play, as it very much looks as though Everton will only have one of these two dynamic players at their disposal in the next campaign. Kevin Mirallas or Aaron Lennon – who should stay and who should go?
In an ideal world Roberto Martinez would have both of these players in his squad for 2015-16, should Mirallas be persuaded Everton can still fulfill his ambitions and Tottenham be willing to sell an in-form player on the cheap to fellow Premier League rivals.
It’s not an impossible scenario to envisage, but for arguments sake, let us assume that one of either Mirallas or Lennon will not be at Finch Farm beyond the summer.
Over the last three years, there is no doubt as to who has been the more productive player, as since moving to the Premier League from Olympiakos, Kevin Mirallas has displayed glimpses of breathtaking quality in his attacking play in the most competitive league in world football.
Meanwhile, Aaron Lennon has toiled on the sidelines at Spurs, and not really done too much to impress the doubters when he did make it into the starting line-up, showing excellent speed of foot on the flank, but little else.
This is a major argument in favour of the man signed by David Moyes at the back end of 2012 – he has consistently proved himself to be an above average player in England’s top flight and has made the difference on his own in some matches with moments of real quality.
His sensational solo goal against Stoke in his debut campaign at Goodison Park settled an otherwise dull affair, while last season he netted stunning free-kicks against Norwich and Aston Villa, in particular, to settle games for the Toffees.
In fact just a couple of months ago he made a quite brilliant cameo off the bench against West Ham at Upton Park to almost swing a tie that looked like slipping away from Everton back in their favour in the FA Cup.
These moments are no flukes – they are the sign of a player who has all sorts of ability and can terrorise any defence when he is on top form.
Could Aaron Lennon really produce these bits of magic when the pressure is at its fiercest? Based on all we have seen from him in his time in the Barclays Premier League, it is highly doubtful.
However, while we can get nostalgic and fondly reminisce about these moments of quality from the Belgian – that is all they are – moments. Since his move to Merseyside, no one can argue that Mirallas’ time here has been anything other than a success.
However, there is a feeling amongst Blues fans that there is an element of unfulfilled potential there, a nagging sense that he could have been so much more had he applied himself more effectively.
While it would be silly to compare him to Eden Hazard in terms of current ability and importance, you could argue that with a better attitude he would not be too far adrift of his countryman in terms of his contribution to his club.
On the topic of attitude and commitment to the cause, Aaron Lennon displays an admirable combination of both on a week-by-week basis.
He may not have the devastating final product of Mirallas, but he makes up for it by giving every ounce of effort and setting an example for a side that has looked only semi-bothered at best for the majority of the season.
Can you put a price on these qualities? His industry and energy have galvanised the Blues in recent weeks and has been one of the major factors in the recent rejuvenation of Roberto Martinez’s men.
Mirallas may have been the go-to guy earlier on in the campaign, but even his spurts of quality couldn’t get his side out of trouble in a miserable start to 2014-15.
This is not to say that Lennon has not shown an end product in his time at Everton, as he has netted two goals and forced two penalties in the last two months, but you wonder whether he will suffer after the honeymoon period has passed and the frustrating player who couldn’t deliver a final ball to save his life in his time at Spurs will return next season.
However, a key point here is that if Kevin Mirallas were to depart, it would most likely make room for arrivals other than Lennon to grace the Goodison turf.
An estimate of over £20m is being thrown around when discussing the Belgian’s value, and should the Toffees bank that, they would have the resources to strengthen other areas of the side.
A new, steady goalkeeper to overthrow the uncertain duo of Tim Howard and Joel Robles could be brought in, while two top quality defenders could also be drafted in to replace the departing (surely?) Sylvain Distin and Antolin Alcaraz.
A wildcard option could also be the mercurial talent of Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona.
The youngster, who had a productive loan spell on Merseyside last season, looks to have finally accepted he doesn’t have a concrete future at Barcelona.
Meanwhile, his troubling time at Sevilla on loan in the current campaign may well have made him mentally stronger and dampened an ego that more often than not persuaded the forward that he could literally take on a whole team if he so pleased.
So, Roberto Martinez could be welcoming back a player that is more rounded and less selfish than the ridiculously talented attacker that dazzled and frustrated in equal measure last year, as well as having the infectious levels of work ethic and commitment that is brought to the table by Lennon.
Keep Kevin Mirallas and have a proven Premier League player of real quality who knows the ins and outs of the club in the ranks?
Or sell him for a large sum and strengthen other areas of the squad, while adding the wild card options of Aaron Lennon and Gerard Deulofeu to the side?
Whatever your preference, it certainly looks as though this transfer saga is somewhat of a win-win scenario for Everton.