The Everton sale

Everton are a club that are going in the wrong direction. After finishing 4th in 2005 they have never managed to reach that height again, and now find themselves not even managing to qualify for the Europa league. The only way they can get back to their previous glory is to keep their key players. However that might be easier said than done, as a number of their players are being hunted by the best teams in Europe. With the promise of European football and trophies we wonder if it's just a matter of time before they leave.

Romelu Lukaku

When Everton spent big to bring Lukaku to Goodison park last season, fans were expecting that he would get 15 to 20 goals for them. While he might not have matched that target, his physicality and ability to hold up the ball meant that he created chances but wasn't being clinical enough. This season he has been anything but non clinical. He has managed to score 25 goals, 18 in the league and has been Evertons star performer. However even with his goals Everton find themselves outside of European qualification. And with Real Madrid, Juventus and PSG all interested in the 22 year old, will Everton be able to reject any big money offers? 

John Stones

At only 21 John Stones is one of footballs most hotly rated youngsters, and despite not playing in the last few matches, is clearly going to develop into a world class player in the future. His departure from Everton has been hinted to throughout the season, as he was rumored to be learning Spanish ahead of a proposed move to Barcalona. It seems though that Manchester City want him the most. Pep Guardiola wants him, and Bilbao's Laporte to partner each other in defense as he looks to build a younger city team. Plenty of teams are going to be interested in Stones in the summer so will Everton be able to keep him?

What does that mean for Everton?

With Lukaku Everton have a world class striker who guarantees goals. But even if they managed to sell him for more than £30 million they are not in the market for a player of his quality. As it seems increasingly unlikely that they won't finish in Europe no player of that ability will want to join them. If they sell stones then they will not just be missing out on a great talent, but also be sending a message to other players that the are willing to sell, which might cause even more players to want a transfer. If these two leave and Everton cant find good enough replacements then we could be seeing Everton falling behind their rivals, and also get the reputation for being a selling club. What has happened to the team that once dominated English football?