Everton: Which Toffee players should Rafa Benitez Loan, Keep or Sell

Midfield:

James Rodriguez: Keep

Talismanic presence James Rodriguez’s future is in doubt after Carlo Ancelotti left Everton in June. The Colombian made the move to the Toffees to reunite with Don Carlo in the first place. Now that the Italian manager has departed his stay in Merseyside should be short lived.

There are several reports mentioning that James’ agent Jorge Mendes has offered him to several clubs and there’s uncertainty over his future. If Everton can keep hold of the Colombian and in return the 30 year old can stay fit for the majority parts of the campaign, James could wreak havoc like he did last season when he was on the pitch.

The first priority should be to keep him but if it comes down to selling him, the Toffees can pocket good profits considering he was a free transfer from Real Madrid.

Allan: Keep

Only signed last year, Allan’s impact in the Everton engine room has been nothing short of phenomenal. Providing energy, making press breaking runs and most importantly acting as a guardian in front of the rearguard, Allan was one of the most important pieces in Ancelotti’s system.

Even though Ancelotti left, the former Napoli midfielder seems content in Merseyside and will stay. Rafa Benitez can further dwell on Allan’s characteristics and possibly make him a key part of his system as well.

Abdoulaye Doucoure: Keep

Abdoulaye Doucoure offers a different set of qualities compared to any other midfielder in the squad. The former Watford man injected energy while almost being omnipresent in both halves. Doucoure is happy at Everton and will continue to be an important part of the team.

Jean-Philippe Gbamin: Keep

After nearly a wait of two years, Gbamin is fully ready to start his first full season at Everton. The holding midfielder offers reliability and solidity in the middle of the park, something at times Everton lacked under Ancelotti last season. Allan and Doucoure are capable of venturing forward but that leaves gaps behind. Gbamin’s presence in the middle unlocks new realms of possibilities and also solving the issues pertaining to the centre of the football pitch.