With a summer set to be laden with struggles and disappointment, Everton fans once again have little to look forward to.
Especially after the season they have just endured, where the Premier League consistently sought to belittle and undermine them with their terrible handling of the takeover and PSR sanctions.
To be battling not only against those fighting the drop, but also your own division, is a mentally taxing job that has been so well dealt with by Sean Dyche.
However, with his Director of Football Kevin Thelwell having already told fans what to expect in the coming months, these two will have to work overtime in order to come into the next campaign in a position of strength.
Everton set to offer new contracts
Of all the things they could do to maintain their current form and success, retaining their star players should be high on that list.
Naturally, one or two sales might be needed, but to hold onto those who have shone for Everton in an otherwise dull campaign is imperative in ensuring that relegation battles do not become the norm for this great club.
Therefore, it marks a positive piece of news that the club are reportedly preparing a new deal for one of those key assets.
However, as journalist Alan Nixon reports, a refusal to sign the deal could see Dominic Calvert-Lewin then moved on. He writes: ‘Everton want to offer striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin a new deal – but will sell him if he says no.
‘Calvert-Lewin finished the season strongly after a frustrating spell as the Goodison side battled against points penalties and a fear of the drop.
‘Boss Sean Dyche and his team want Calvert-Lewin tied down to an even longer deal but he would be up for sale if that suggestion is turned down.
‘Everton will sell players this summer because of their financial issues. Calvert-Lewin is one they want to keep but would trade if they had to.’
Dominic Calvert-Lewin might have to be sacrificed
Although the £100k-a-week striker is imperative to how Dyche’s team plays, he does have just one year left on his deal from June onwards.
It puts the club in a really precarious position, as they could be set to lose out on a potentially huge sum of money for their star marksman should they let him go now.
As Nixon notes, the 27-year-old has enjoyed a fine end to the campaign, but at one point Calvert-Lewin was the worst finisher in the entire division.
His seven Premier League goals denote a solid return given the circumstances, but Dyche and the fanbase will want more next season given the number of chances they forged.
Beto and Youssef Chermiti may not be the answer, but if one player has to be sacrificed, the former Sheffield United man might be the logical choice given the strength in depth they boast up front alongside his contract position.
