This summer has seen plenty of change at Everton after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign which saw them narrowly escape relegation for the third consecutive year.
The season's struggle called on the club to move actively in the transfer market to replace and provide competition for players who haven't hit the heights expected of them.
Many reasons can be levelled of course. Form, injury, a failure to adapt to the Premier League's intensity maybe.
But while some can be moved on, the balancing act that the Toffees face in terms of squad building and finances means that others would likely need to step up.
VAVEL decided to take a look at five members of the Everton squad heading into the 2024/25 season, who possibly need to prove their worth for their future to be certain on Merseyside.
Nathan Patterson
There was a lot of expectation on Nathan Patterson’s shoulders when he arrived at the club from Rangers for £11m back in January 2022.
It was seen that the Scot would be the long-term replacement for the evergreen Seamus Coleman, who at the time aged 32, had been slowing down on Everton’s right-flank.
Patterson failed to make an impact during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign however, making a grand total of zero appearances when fit and instead missing Everton’s crucial run-in with relegation with an ankle injury.
The youngster managed to get a run of games under Frank Lampard the next season, but Sean Dyche’s arrival combined with more time on the treatment table during another escape from the drop cut his season short once more.
His fortunes didn’t change during the last campaign either as Dyche preferred the experience of Coleman and even Ashley Young at times to keep the Toffees afloat in the top-flight.
Their form meant that Patterson was limited to just 20 league appearances, starting only nine times before a hamstring injury ended his season early again.
The 22-year old has a big task on his hands to be the number one choice. It would prove to be timely though, especially when younger players have been prioritised to ensure the club’s long-term future financially.
By staying injury-free and consistent, there might be an opportunity for Patterson to be the solution to Everton’s right back problems - that being most likely on a last chance basis.
Michael Keane
Up until the 2022/23 season, Michael Keane's place in the Everton team was never in doubt, performing as a regular starter despite the club falling from European contention to near the bottom three.
Since then, Keane's trajectory has been far from an upward curve in the Blues continued battles against the drop.
Having been a mainstay under Dyche at Burnley previously, the defender has struggled for playing time ever since his former boss arrived. Even though he played a regular role towards the end of the 2023 great escape.
The partnership of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite has instead become the preferred one after last term, which resulted in Keane making only nine league appearances across 2022/23.
To further add to his woes, the signing of Jake O'Brien from Lyon would signify an even bigger battle for a starting place in central defence.
At 31, Keane has only one year remaining on his contract. The challenge now is to force his way through the ever-growing competition to extend his stay further.
It would mean that the remainder of the Toffees pre-season could be his audition to impress and regain his place as a starter.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
With more than 50 league goals to his name for Everton, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has proved to be a capable number nine when fit.
But fitness has been the Englishman's main issue down the years, with injury halting the progress of a player who hit the 20 goal mark in all competitions under Carlo Ancelotti back in 2020/21.
Since that remarkable year in which he scooped the both the club and fans player of the year awards, Calvert-Lewin has subsequently missed 47 league games due to injury.
His availability did improve last term, starting 26 of his 32 Premier League outings.
But his form took a dip as he netted only seven times in more than 2000 minutes of football.
The striker's lack of goals coincided with the team's failure to score as a whole, having recorded the league's second-lowest goal return in contrast to the fourth-best defensive record.
It's clear that Everton need work in the goalscoring department with the signing of Iliman Ndiaye and the return of Jack Harrison a sign of the creativity needed to get Calvert-Lewin firing again.
Despite reports linking Everton to striking reinforcements, it is well known that the starting role in the team is up for grabs.
If Calvert-Lewin can rediscover his scoring touch, it might save the club a lot of money in the process and prevent them from parting ways with him.
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Abdoulaye Doucoure proved to be the man of the moment when his goal against Bournemouth singlehandedly kept Everton up on the final day of the 2022/23 season.
The Frenchman had to switch from a box-to-box midfielder to an unorthodox second striker role under Dyche that year, which has yielded positive results as well as negative ones ever since.
Doucoure began the 2023/24 season strongly, contributing six goals in the first 17 league games, with the Toffees unbeaten when he found the net.
That run lasted until mid-December where he was ruled out with injury, and since then Doucoure failed to recapture his early-season form despite regaining his place in the team.
From his return against Aston Villa in January, he played another 15 times, scoring once as Everton beat the drop with five wins from their final eight matches.
Doucoure's inconsistencies in a makeshift position has called for more creativity and firepower, given that his qualities to the team are better reflected off the ball rather than on it.
That would possibly suggest less playing time for him as Ndiaye's settling within pre-season so far seems to favour him in the support striker role.
If so, it could mean he moves further back into a central midfield that is heavy with competition as the club continue to look for an Amadou Onana replacement.
The question marks over a starting position would see this upcoming season a big one for Doucoure, who at 31 with only a year left on his contract, needs to show why Everton still need to keep him within their plans.
Beto
Beto arrived at Everton last summer from Udinese for £26m as a player who could add another element to Everton's striking options.
The 26-year-old had hit double figures in each of his last four seasons and looked to be the reliable goalscorer that could give Calvert-Lewin a fight to be the starting number nine.
But that wasn't to be the case for Beto despite a debut goal in Everton's second round League Cup win over Doncaster Rovers.
In all competitions, the striker made 37 appearances only finding the net five times, with three of those being league goals.
His lack of goals coincided with a lack of opportunities as the Portuguese started only nine of his 30 Premier League outings in his first season at Goodison.
Reports have linked Beto with a move away from the club, but it would seem unlikely for the moment given that his appearances during pre-season would suggest a hope to still be Everton's starting striker.
For him to do that, he has to show his all-round attributes which might bring the goals needed to take the Blues higher, otherwise it could force the club to cut their losses.
The upcoming 2024/25 season is a big one in terms of Everton's hopeful progression after a difficult period both on and off the pitch.
These players could be pivotal in that but it means that they have to go above and beyond what's expected to stake their claim as an integral part of the team.
