Not just DCL: Everton’s £55k-p/w "warrior" is finished & won’t start again

Everton might have lost against Manchester City at the weekend, but they gave it a good go and continue to look levels above the disjointed mess that prompted Sean Dyche to step down in January after The Friedkin Group assumed ownership.

David Moyes will be delighted with the job he’s done since returning to the helm in January, nearly 12 years after leaving his Goodison Park dynasty to take on the job at Manchester United.

The fans are certainly happy, buoyed by the Scotsman’s impact as he prepares to lead the Toffees into a new chapter at Bramley Moore.

Time was when Everton were devoid of hope, but that’s no longer the case. TFG are set to hand Moyes funding to strengthen the squad this summer, but more than a few stars are set to leave to make room.

Long-serving striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is among them.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s Everton future

Calvert-Lewin might have been at Everton for an age, signing from Sheffield United in a £1.5m deal way back in 2016. But all things end, and Moyes is prepared to let him leave in the coming months as he puts his own stamp on his team.

The 28-year-old is indeed out of a deal this summer and Everton have been linked with a range of strikers as they prepare to cut ties.

Beto’s emergent shooting success has tempered the England international’s struggles, but it’s not good for Calvert-Lewin on a personal level, for Moyes is hardly going to be impressed by his three-goal return in 2024/25, having missed a whopping 13 big chances, as per Sofascore.

With 57 Premier League goals to his name, Calvert-Lewin has more than played his part. But injuries, consequent inconsistencies and his high earnings have confirmed that the decision to part ways would be the right one this summer.

He’s not the only one.

Everton veteran has reached the end

Everton are set to replace a range of first-team players in the transfer market this summer, with as many as 15 out of contract.

Seamus Coleman joins Calvert-Lewin on that list, and like the centre-forward he must be allowed to leave as Everton step into a new era.

The most experienced man in the Toffees squad, Everton signed a teenage Coleman from Sligo Rovers in his homeland for a jaw-dropping £60,000 figure, one of the biggest bargains in Everton’s modern history.

Now 36, he’s gone on to make a shedload of appearances, but only four have come this season, with Coleman last featuring on Boxing Day.

Given that he’s yet to even feature during Moyes’ second term, sitting as an unused substitute across five of Everton’s past six top-flight fixtures, it seems nailed on that the two parties will finally part when his £55k-per-week contract expires this summer.

Coleman has played his part over a decade and a half of service, and he’s not doing too badly in the all-time rankings either, sixth in the all-time charts. There’s no doubt that Coleman’s a ‘club legend,’ even if it’s a moniker he refutes.

Hailed as a “warrior” by former manager Frank Lampard, Coleman is indeed a stalwart at Everton, but it feels fitting in a way that he should close the door on his storied Merseyside journey as Goodison Park prepares to lock the turnstiles for the final time.

Jake O’Brien is now the star man at right-back, and maybe Moyes will target a more conventional wide defender to compete with him this summer.

Whatever happens, it’s time for Coleman to bow out.