Everton: 4 player departures in summer that can save over £10 million in wages

Everton could be set for a major squad upheaval in the summer as a number of players could depart as free agents after running their contract down with the Merseyside club. A total of seven players are out of contract at the end of this season and so far there have been little indications whether they would continue at Everton.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Yerry Mina, Seamus Coleman, Andros Townsend, Tom Davies, Asmir Begovic and Andy Lonergan are out of contracts at the end of 2022-23 season. Under Sean Dyche, players like Doucoure have emerged as important members of the team. If the Malian continues to impress, the club could trigger a one year extension and keep the player until the summer of 2024.

Everton have had problems with their finances and reducing the wage budget could be a solution. Summer sales will depend on Everton’s fate in the relegation battle. The Toffees could still make a decision over extending or not extending contracts and offload players in order to save money in wages.

While Coleman will have the liberty to decide his future and whether he intends to continue beyond this season, the Toffees could offload three players and save over £10 million in wages next season.

4 Everton player departures that can save over £10 million in wages

1. Yerry  Mina

Yerry Mina was signed in 2018 from Barcelona for £27 million but the Colombian will go down as an underwhelming transfer of the Farhad Moshiri era. The defender has been injury prone and missed major chunk of games over a number of seasons as injury issues get the better of him.

The 28 year old has missed over 50 games because of injuries over a period of five seasons. The Colombian is defensively strong when fit and one of the best defenders in the squad but his fitness has caused major headaches. Mina is one of the highest earners at the club, earning £120,000 per week which amounts to £6.24 million a season.

With James Tarkowski in the rearguard, Mina’s role has diminished and he is no longer a starter. Letting Mina leave could save the club millions in wages, especially for a player who has a reputation of being injury prone.

2. Tom Davies

Local lad Tom Davies is also out of contract at the end of the season. The midfielder showed flashes of brilliance when he shot onto the scene, playing under Ronald Koeman. However, Davies has struggled to nail a role in the team under recent managers, often playing as a substitute and an occasional starter. With the midfield consisting of Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye, James Garner and Doucoure, Davies has little chance of getting a regular role in the team. He earns £25,000 per week which translates to £1.3 million a year.

3. Asmir Begovic

Asmir Begovic was signed by Rafa Benitez on a free transfer to provide cover for Jordan Pickford. The veteran keeper has served as a reliable backup, carrying out the responsibility when Pickford was unavailable. His deal was extended by one year last summer but it looks unlikely that he will get an extension this time around.

Joao Virginia is on loan and has gained much needed minutes. The Portuguese is young and now has the necessary experience to at least serve as a backup to Pickford. Begovic takes home £2.236 million a year and letting his contract run out could save the club a substantial amount in wages.

4. Andy Lonergan

Similar to Begovic, Andy Lonergan was signed by Benitez to act as the third keeper. The 39 year old has not played a single game for the Merseysiders. Even though he is on a modest £5,500 wages per week, Everton must allow his deal to run out in the summer, saving £286,000 in yearly wages.

Should the Toffees renew the contracts of the aforementioned players?