Chelsea to release a raft of players and some might be of interest to Everton

Stories claim that new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is ready to move on or loan out a large group of his players this summer. Could Everton benefit from this?

Some of these players will probably leave permanently while others could be available on loan as Pochettino looks to trim the bloated squad he has inherited.

Everton are facing a difficult summer transfer window with plenty of uncertainty over what is happpening at the club and no one clear as to how much money will be available for Sean Dyche to spend.

And so, clever deals and probably loans too, will in all probability have to be the way to go.

The first reaction to this story though might be, the Blues don’t want players who have failed to perform in the Premier League under several recent managers at Stamford Bridge.

Well, while accepting that might be a valid point, the answer is still maybe. After all it is sometimes true that players don’t settle at a particular club and may do so if they move on.

In addition, one or two of the individuals mentioned have previously alledgedly been on the Toffees radar and were strongly linked in the recent past with a move to Goodison Park.

So, let’s take a closer look at some of these players.

Conor Gallagher

The first to look at is young midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The 23-year-old spent a very productive season on loan at Crystal Palace the season before last and this had promted several Premier League clubs, including Everton, to alledgedly consider a move for him.

Nothing happened however and Gallagher ultimately remained at Stamford Bridge last season.

He didn’t have the breakthrough campaign that might have been hoped for or even expected after that fine spell at Selhurst Park.

Three goals are all he managed, but having said that he only played eighteen matches, seventeen of which were as a substitute, so that perhaps should be bourne in mind.

He certainly has plenty of talent and fits the profile of the sort of young attacking midfielder who the Blues could well do with.

And, as well as a goal threat, he is a very combatative player which certainly suits what Sean Dyche wants from his players.

Finding goals from all over the pitch to support the forwards will be important for Everton next season, particularly from midfield, regardless of which strikers are signed.

Indeed, that was true last term too.

Had it not been for Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal contribution over the second half of the campaign (apart from the winner against Bournemouth) the Toffees might not have stayed up.

So, perhaps Everton should be ready to explore again whether their might be a chance of getting Gallagher next season, even if it was only on loan.

Armando Broja

Everyone knows the Blues need to score more goals next season, it is probably the most important area of the side that must be improved. Could Broja help to achieve that objective?

A look at his bald stats from last season would say no. But again, as with Gallagher, they are perhaps a little misleading.

Broja suffered a serious injury last year and this restricted his appearances and obviously impacted his fitness.

Like Gallager, he got most of his appearances off the bench, and it isn’t always easy to make a decisive contribution coming on late in games, especially for a striker.

He is a tall, powerfully-built centre-forward who had enjoyed a reasonably productive loan at Southampton in 2021-22 season when he bagged six goals for the Saints.

Again, not exactly earth-shattering but indicative of his ability to score in a struggling team.

They South Coast club were keen to keep him, and he was also later linked with a move to Merseyside to be re-united with the manager who gave him his first chance at Chelsea; Frank Lampard.

The Albian international is young at 21 and so would represent an investment for the future if he was to move to another team.

So, while he might not immediately provide goals, should the Toffees still consider a possible loan deal for him too?

Hakim Ziyech

This last player is very much an outside shout: Hakim Ziyech.

Moroccan star Ziyech has seen his opportunities severely restricted at Stamford Bridge last season and apparently wants to leave West London in the summer.

He had a solid World Cup with Morocco late last year as the North African country became the first from their continent to reach the semi-finals.

At 30, Ziyech is probably just past his peak, but at his best is still a dangerous attacker who is particularly strong creating chances for others.

That sort of profile is also one the Blues need to be looking at, as finding players who can create more will be critical. After all, strikers cannot score goals if they don’t have enough chances to do so.

I don’t imagine Ziyech would be on Dyche’s radar but he is also a hard-working player who likes to tackle and defend as well. Again, all qualities the Everton boss likes a great deal.

I am not saying these players are the right one, these are perhaps outside considerations.

But getting players from other Premier League clubs on loan could be a useful way to bolster a squad short of numbers and options.

It is possible that some real left-field signings could well happen this summer as the Toffees try to find talent to improve the team from all sources, given all the probable financial restrictions the club will face.