Everton ‘bloated’ as Sky Sports pundit reacts to Tom Davies, Asmir Begovic and Lewis Gibson contract snub exits

We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…

Kevin Campbell sees no reason to panic despite Everton seeing three players leave after rejecting new deals this summer.

Asmir Begovic and Tom Davies were first-team squad members both offered extensions to their expiring deals, while Lewis Gibson had also had new terms put forward after a series of loans, but all three turned them down with the latter already in at Plymouth Argyle.

But while Sky Sports pundit Campbell is concerned about the lack of new arrivals, he doesn’t see the trio slipping out of the club when there were plans to keep them as a huge loss.

In reaction to the departures he exclusively told Goodison News: “No, am I worried? No I’m not because they had quite a bloated squad anyway and there were going to be outgoings. 

“So that’s just part and parcel, but the key is you’ve got to strengthen and Everton are not strengthening.”

Clearly Sean Dyche must have seen something in the trio of former Toffees otherwise new deals wouldn’t have been on the table, since Yerry Mina and Conor Coady were allowed to depart without overtures made.

But with a combined 616 minutes in the Premier League last season from Davies and Begovic, all but 90 coming from the midfielder, and Gibson yet to make a first-team appearance at 22, it shouldn’t be an insurmountable blow.

With Jordan Pickford making clear that he isn’t going anywhere the goalkeeper issue is now far less pressing, and in midfield Everton are quite well-covered, so while it must have been a disappointment to be turned down it is not the end of the world if they all wanted more game time.

However, with only free agent pick-up Ashley Young through the doors so far in terms of signings there is more concern on the transfer front with clear needs remaining in attack, so Dyche does still have key priorities to worry about.

In other Everton news, Campbell has delivered his verdict as the Toffees chase Leeds United men after disappointment on Rodrigo and Willy Gnonto.