Frank Lampard has four Everton dilemmas as £72m duo set for summer departures

Frank Lampard achieved exactly what he was brought to Goodison Park for - to ensure Everton retained their Premier League status.

Since arriving on Merseyside at the end of January, Lampard’s sole focus has been on the Toffees’ battle at the foot of the table.

And after Everton dramatically defeated Crystal Palace 3-2 on the penultimate day of the season, Lampard’s since been able to start planning for the future.

No-one at the club wants another scrap and lessons must be learnt.

Now Lampard’s planning for the 2022-23 campaign begins in earnest.

Firstly, the Everton manager must decide which of the out-of-contract players he wants to keep on Merseyside and who’ll be released.

As reported by LiverpoolWorld, clubs have to submit their 2022 retained list to the Premier League by Thursday 26 May.

Everton have six senior players whose deals are coming to a close, while two youngsters’ futures are intriguing.

We take a look at their respective situations.

Who’s definitely leaving?

Cenk Tosun has confirmed his departure on social media.

The striker was signed for £27 million from Besiktas in January 2018 but failed to represent value for money.

Tosun made only 61 appearances, scoring 11 goals, and was twice shipped out on loan to Crystal Palace and former club Besiktas respectively.

His exit will free up significant funds in terms of wages.

As will the release of Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The Icelandic, who moved to Goodison from Swansea City for £45 million in the summer of 2017, has been unavailable all season.

Who’s definitely staying?

Everton have already taken up the option of extending Asmir Begovic’s deal by a year.

The veteran goalkeeper has been a sound deputy to Jordan Pickford since arriving from Bournemouth last summer.

Performances in the last-minute 1-0 win over Newcastle United and 3-2 defeat of Hull City in the FA Cup third round were impressive.

The Athletic also reports that youngster Lewis Warrington is poised to sign a new contract.

The midfielder is highly regarded at Everton and spent the second half of the season on loan at League Two side Tranmere. He recorded one goal and two assists in 17 games at Prenton Park.

Whose future is uncertain?

There’s been much debate of late around what should happen to Fabian Delph.

The midfielder has been much maligned for the majority of his Everton career since arriving from Manchester City in the summer of 2019.

That’s mainly because of Delph’s injury record and he had a spell of four months on the treatment table this season.

But when the former England international did return to fitness in April, his impact on the Toffees’ relegation battle was seismic.

In his six appearances, Everton accrued 11 points. Had it not been for Delph’s contributions, Lampard’s side could now find themselves in the Championship.

When asked about Delph’s future earlier this month, Lampard admitted the former Leeds United man knows how he’s regarded by the boss.

But just as though it appeared Delph may have turned a corner, he missed the final three games with a muscle issue.

It’s a quandary, all right. If the 32-year-old could stay fit then it’d be a no-brainer to keep him. But his injury record is a concern.

Jonjoe Kenny revived his Everton career somewhat since Lampard’s arrival.

Fourteen of his 21 outings came under the ex-Chelsea boss in a variety of defensive roles.

Kenny’s versatile, low maintenance and committed - the perfect facets required of a squad player.

You’d imagine his wage demands wouldn’t be extravagant, either.

But, on the flip side, is Kenny of the ilk needed to propel Everton up the table?

They’re well-stocked when it comes to full-backs with Seamus Coleman, Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson, while Ben Godfrey can also provide cover.

Then there’s Andy Lonergan. The 38-year-old was brought in to be third-choice keeper in August after youngster Harry Tyrer suffered an injury.

Lonergan, 38, will be relatively cheap in terms of wages but after Everton signed England youth international Billy Crellin from Fleetwood Town in January.

Let’s not forget about Lewis Gibson, either.

There were high hopes for the defender after he joined from Newcastle United in 2019.

The England under-20 international enjoyed a fine loan spell at Fleetwood in the 2019-2020 campaign.

However, he struggled at Championship side Reading last term while he was rocked by injuries at League One Sheffield Wednesday this season, managing just six outings in all competitions.

Gibson is well thought of, especially by ex-director of football Marcel Brands, and is left-footed - a rare commodity when it comes to central defenders.

What’s more, Anthony Gordon’s proven development can happen in a blink of an eye. Gordon had a disappointing spell at Preston North End last season before making hurtling progress no-one predicted this campaign.

However, Jarrad Branthwaite, 19, is ahead of Gibson in the pecking order.

Godfrey, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Michael Keane are Everton’s senior centre-half options.

If Everton offer Gibson a new, improved deal and he turns it down, they will be entitled to a training compensation fee as he’s under the age of 23.

That could mean the 21-year-old is offered a nominal contract.