Roberto Martínez has said Everton plan to build around Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley, John Stones and James McCarthy this summer and need to strengthen only in two or three positions to “create a winning team”.
The quartet impressed in the 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday as Everton’s recovery from a turbulent season continued into a sixth unbeaten game. Martínez’s side have taken 16 points from the past 18, having hovered six points above the relegation zone after a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on March 4th.
With no European football on offer at Goodison Park next season, and the young assets emerging from a difficult period, the Everton manager expects interest in players such as Lukaku and Barkley from rival clubs. However, he does not anticipate any major sales.
Continuity
“I don’t want to lose anyone this summer,” he said. “We worked hard last summer to have continuity and to get Romelu Lukaku and Gareth Barry on a permanent basis, as well as new contracts on Ross Barkley and John Stones.
“We made huge investments in those two young player so our focus is not to lose anyone this summer and to add two or three to the group.
“But, in the same way, if someone doesn’t want to play for Everton, we need to be in a position where we can become stronger at the end of it. But that’s talking generally, nothing to do with our squad. I am not concerned that if we lost Ross Barkley we would lose all the work that we have put in [over the past two seasons] because we don’t want to lose anyone.
“Looking at the team and the way we are playing at the moment, I think we are learning our lesson and have a more mature group of players than last season, but we want to create a winning team. I think we are getting very close. Those four [Barkley, Lukaku, McCarthy and Stones] are better players than they were 10 months ago because of the experiences we have been through.”
The four are on long-term contracts and Martínez’s priority is to strengthen in attack, where he wants more creativity behind Lukaku. – Guardian service
