Can Everton keep their best players together?

Will Everton be able to keep their best players together after the season, or will they have to reluctantly watch them walk out the door?

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Everton have a handful of top quality players that are helping the club fight for European football next season, but keeping them around to enjoy that success may prove extremely difficult for the club.

Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley, John Stones and Gerard Deulofeu have all contributed to some fantastic performances from Everton this season and the club will be desperate to keep their young stars together after potentially achieving European qualification this season.

Stones and Deulofeu have been at the centre of this debate in recent weeks, with both players receiving reported interest from Barcelona.

Stones has received attention from a number of clubs this season, with Chelsea launching a number of unsuccessful bids for the English international this past summer.

Deulofeu, on the other hand, joined Everton from Barcelona in the summer transfer window but has put in a number of eye catching performances that have alerted his former club and given them some food for thought.

Stones is reportedly going to be the centre of attention in the January transfer window, with both Chelsea and Barcelona set to launch fresh bids for the player in the hopes of luring him away from Goodison Park.

Deulofeu will be staying with Everton at least until the summer window, which is the earliest time Barcelona can attempt to bring the Spanish Under-21s winger back to the club.

But Lukaku and Barkley, who have arguably been the club’s best and most consistent performers this season, will also likely be faced with offers from other top clubs.

Lukaku’s agent, Mino Raiola, likes to run his mouth and constantly comments on how big of a player Lukaku is and how he believes he’ll be one of the best players in the world… just not at Everton.

There have been no rumours or reports to suggest that either Lukaku or Barkley will be targeted in January, but it wasn’t too long ago that Barkley was linked with Manchester City and Lukaku’s agent was stating how he would have never signed Lukaku to Everton, having not been his agent at the time.

So how can the club keep their dynamic foursome together at the end of this season?

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European football.

While many would say the Champions League specifically, European football should be enough to persuade the youngsters to at least stay for another season in the hopes of winning the Europa League or featuring in the Champions League, depending on their qualification status.

The Champions League is the pinnacle of football, with the best clubs and the best players in the world dreaming of lifting the giant trophy come the end of each season.

Playing for a club such as Everton, who have not won a trophy since 1995, may make that dream seem out of reach.

But if the club secures at least Europa League football for next season, the dream seems closer and the desire to win Europe’s second trophy also grows as the team’s currently potential is seemingly limitless.

Also, winning the League Cup could do wonders to help lift the spirits of the players and give them a great sense of achievement that could make them determined to make Everton one of the regular contenders each season.

But European football, no matter which one, will certainly help the club achieve their target of keeping their best young players together beyond this season.

With Everton sitting in 7th place in the Premier League, that target is much closer than you may think.