Good news off the pitch is hard to come by at Everton these days, but those at Goodison Park could be set to finally receive some positive headlines, given that the Toffees have reportedly opened contract talks with one of Sean Dyche's star men.
Everton transfer news
With their takeover not any closer to completion and more doubts than ever about 777 Partners' ability to even reach that stage, Everton could be in for a long summer transfer window. Without those funds, the Toffees will likely be forced to sell at least one star player to fund further incomings and avoid even more FFP sanctions.
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This could see the likes of Amadou Onana depart, with Everton reportedly more willing to sacrifice the Belgian than young defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the coming months. Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich are both among the clubs to have been linked with a move for the midfielder this summer, as Everton look to cash in.
The hope will be that Onana's departure injects enough funds into Everton's budget to avoid a similar sale when it comes to Branthwaite. But it's not just the star defender that the Toffees reportedly want to keep hold of.
According to The Athletic, Everton have opened talks with Dominic Calvert-Lewin over a new contract at the club. The forward's current deal expires next summer and with Newcastle United reportedly interested in landing a deal in the coming months, those at Goodison Park have acted to ease any exit fears.
Whilst their ability to welcome fresh faces remains in doubt, keeping hold of players such as Calvert-Lewin should be the priority at Everton. The England international showed enough form at the back end of the season to suggest that he's well on his way to rediscovering his most clinical form in the Premier League too.
"Excellent" Calvert-Lewin is still a key player at Everton
After several injury issues and a struggle to find his best form, Calvert-Lewin finally came to life at the end of the season just when the Toffees needed him most. After scoring just four goals in the first 30 games of the Premier League season, Calvert-Lewin managed four in the final eight games, including one in a 2-0 victory over Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
By the end of the campaign, the forward managed eight goals and three assists with those final eight games representing the type of form that Dyche will be desperate to see at the start of next season.
The Everton boss was full of praise for Calvert-Lewin after defeating Liverpool, saying via BBC Sport: "I thought he was excellent. His physical performance was outstanding. This season has not been too bad on the injury front.
"But it shows it does take time mentally and physically to clear your mind of that and start to play freely again. I said to him after the match, 'That is the sort of performance that gets you back around the England squad'."
With contract talks underway and Calvert-Lewin far closer to his best form, Everton could finally have a solution for their goalscoring problems next season