Marco Silva Preparing to Cull Key First-Team Quartet in Bid to Reduce Squad Size
Everton are prepared to ship out a quartet of first-team stars as Marco Silva continues to wield the axe at Goodison Park.
The Portuguese boss wishes to trim his senior squad down from 38 players to 25 this summer as he conducts an overhaul of the Blues’ squad.
And the Daily Star has alleged that four key men could be heading for the exit door – with boyhood Blue Wayne Rooney chief among them.
Ashley Williams and Yannick Bolasie are expected to be sold as a cost cutting measure by Silva, while Morgan Schneiderlin has been tipped to depart and join Marseille.
Silva and director of football Marcel Brands want to slash the humongous wage bill in L4 and bring their own signings to the club.
In order to do that, the pair need to sell off some of their highest earners and the above quartet are the most likely casualties of a summer of change.
Ramiro Funes Mori was the first to leave Everton after Silva’s appointment – the centre-back joining La Liga side Villarreal for an undisclosed fee last Thursday.
The Argentina international could now be joined by four former teammates, with those up for the chop expected to leave in the near future.
Rooney only rejoined Everton 12 months ago after Manchester United agreed to let him leave.
But the 32-year-old forward looks set to head to America’s Major League Soccer, with DC United expected to complete a deal for him soon.
Williams, who has 12 months remaining on his Everton deal, may be another defensive casualty as Silva eyes centre-half reinforcements.
The Wales international is recovering from a collapsed lung currently but isn’t thought to be in Silva’s plans for the new season.
Bolasie struggled to recapture his best form last term after a year long lay off with a cruciate knee ligament injury, and could be shipped off to make room for new attacking arrivals.
Schneiderlin’s future is also up in the air, with the Frenchman being the subject of boos from Evertonians last season over an apparent training ground spat last November.
The midfielder is being eyed by Ligue Un outfit Marseille, and his potential departure would possible allow Silva to chase apparent target William Carvalho.
The four stars are either the wrong side of 30 or nearing that mark, and Silva’s desire to freshen up his squad means they’re unlikely to feature for him.
The 40-year-old will retain some old heads – Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka for example – but if Everton are to push on after last season’s poor showing, they need fresh blood and new faces.
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That means some current players need to make way, and it seems that the likes of Rooney need to let go in order to make that happen.