After retaining their ever-present Premier League status thanks to Abdoulaye Doucoure's stunning strike against AFC Bournemouth on the final day of the season last month, this summer promises to be one of huge importance for all areas of Everton Football Club if they are to ensure the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns are mere blots on the club's pristine top-flight record.
While changes off the field appear imminent with club officials in talks with New York-based private equity firm MSP Sports Capital, it will be Sean Dyche who is tasked with ringing the changes on the field as he looks to build on the foundations he has set since arriving at Goodison Park in January and plot the Blues' flight up the table.
Of course, being in the Premier League will make Dyche's task an awful lot easier with the club sparing themselves the headache of planning a summer overhaul while in England's second tier.
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Here the ECHO takes a look at some of the players who have been given an outside chance of joining Everton, according to the bookies...
Harry Maguire
Maguire endured a torrid season at Old Trafford under new boss Erik Ten Hag, making just eight starts in the Premier League as United finished the campaign in third place.
Costing the club a world-record £80m when he signed from Leicester City in the summer of 2019, the 30-year-old's tumble down the pecking order - where he now finds himself behind Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, and even make-shift centre-back Luke Shaw - suggests a summer exit away from the Red Devils is likely.
According to Bet365's latest odds, Everton are outsiders to land the England international's signature this summer at 16/1. As it stands, the Blues are expected to have a string of central defenders on their books at the start of pre-season with Jarrad Branthwaite's return from PSV Eindhoven adding to Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate who are already at the club.
*Odds are in line with Bet365's market and can be found here.
Conor Gallagher
Linked with a move to Goodison Park in the January transfer window, Gallagher is a player that has already been tipped to sign for a number of clubs in the Premier League this summer.
In recent weeks, Newcastle, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and now Everton have been touted with a potential move for the England international.
As a player who qualifies for a home-grown Premier League status due to his time in the Londoners' youth set-up, a fee in the region of £40m had previously been mentioned as Chelsea's asking price for the 23-year-old.
After spending over £500m since a Todd-Boehly-led consortium acquired the club last May, Chelsea have a pressing need to sell players if they are to balance the books. To compensate for their ruthless spending in the 2022/23 season, the Stamford Bridge outfit will need to sell players by June 30.
According to Sky Bet, Everton are 14/1 to sign Gallagher this summer.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Once dubbed as one of the most exciting wingers in the Premier League, Hudson-Odoi has struggled to establish himself at Chelsea since suffering a serious knee injury in May 2019.
Hudson-Odoi spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Bundesliga outfit Bayern Leverkusen but failed to set Germany alight as he managed just one goal and one assist. During the second half of the season, the forward failed to win over former Liverpool midfielder-turned-manager Xabi Alonso.
Aged just 22, however, Hudson-Odoi still has his best years ahead of him and with Chelsea's hand potentially forced into cut-price sales this summer, and with just 12 months remaining on his current deal, Hudson-Odoi could prove to be a shrewd investment for the Blues.
According to Sky Bet's latest odds, Hudson-Odoi is 14/1 to make the move to Goodison Park this summer.
James Ward-Prowse
As previous Premier League seasons have demonstrated, there is quality to be plucked from those relegated from the top flight. This season it seems that Ward-Prowse is the 2022/23 season's diamond in the rough.
The England international, who has been overlooked for the past two major tournaments by manager Gareth Southgate, has demonstrated his qualities with an underachieving Southampton side in recent seasons and looks bound for an immediate return to the top flight this summer.
In Everton's case, the alarming need for quality and control in the centre of the park makes the 28-year-old an ideal addition.
And, according to Sky Bet, he is 22/1 to make the move to Everton this summer.
Scott McTominay
McTominay, like Maguire, faces an uncertain future at Manchester United this summer and in a bid to close the gap between themselves and title winners Manchester City, the Red Devil could sacrifice the 26-year-old this summer.
While not the most eye-catching of players, the Scotland international has displayed his versatility on both the international stage and in Europe's premier competitions. For United this season, he has played in both defence and in midfield.
According to Sky Bet, McTominay 20/1 to sign for Sean Dyche's side.
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