FIVE stars keen to stay

DAVID Moyes will have some tough calls to make this summer. With safety assured, his attention is now moving on to the squad rebuild that is inevitable with 15 players on expiring deals.

- By JOE THOMAS Everton FC Correspondent

The future of some of those is already clear - Neal Maupay’s loan move to Marseille, for instance, included an obligation for that deal to be made permanent. Orel Mangala proved a useful addition on the final day of the summer transfer window but the knee injury that ended his season in January will make it tough for Everton to entertain thoughts of securing him after such a long lay-off.

While Moyes is still assessing some players, and has reached views on others, several players have contemplated their future in public over recent months.

With the new stability offered by the takeover of the Friedkin Group, the surge in form inspired by Moyes and the promise of the stadium move over the summer, it is of little surprise that several would love to stay.

One of the first was Jesper Lindstrom - the Dane expressing an ambition to remain on Merseyside even before the takeover and while, under Sean Dyche, minutes were limited.

Despite a rough start to the campaign, the winger told the ECHO: "I will do everything I can for them to buy me because I like it here. I like the training... I like the life here. So hopefully they will buy me."

Lindstrom’s hopes that Everton will make his loan deal from Napoli permanent suffered a major blow when he suffered a double hernia setback a few weeks ago.

Moyes had challenged him to deliver more going forward if he wanted Everton to consider triggering the option to buy him, which stands at around £20million, but he has not had that chance over recent weeks.