Can Everton land a top four Premier League spot this season?

Can Toffees crack the top four this season?

Everton

Everton have spent big during the transfer window and Ronald Koeman will want to secure Champions League football

Everton supporters have been pinching themselves in the past few days. The Merseyside outfit were noticeably quiet during the early stages of the transfer window, although the sale of John Stones to Manchester City saw the Toffees well and truly splash the cash.

It is clear that Ronald Koeman would have only agreed to leave Southampton if he knew that Everton had grandiose ambitions and the investment of major shareholder Farhad Moshiri has completely changed the landscape.

Firstly, Ashley Williams left long-term club Swansea City to join the ranks as a like-for-like replacement for Stones. Then, Yannick Bolasie made the switch from Crystal Palace, much to the annoyance of Alan Pardew.

Defensive midfield steel has been added in the form of Idrissa Gueye, with Koeman now looking to set a settled XI and there are options for every position, with Romelu Lukaku being persuaded to stay put at Goodison Park.

Lukaku was initially expected to leave the Merseyside outfit, with his agent suggesting that the forward would be playing Champions League football this season, although the Belgian has been persuaded to remain for another term.

While Lukaku missed some good chances to score in a recent match against the Potters, it’s clear that he has the potential to be something special and perhaps working with Koeman will help him develop his game accordingly.

It’s been a solid start on the pitch, with Everton claiming a 1-1 draw against Tottenham in their opening game before wins against West Brom and Stoke City, with Koeman having no European distractions this season.

The Toffees are 10/1 with Paddy Power to finish in the top four this season and early signs suggest that Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are likely to occupy the top three places.

However, there will be quiet confidence among supporters that Everton can rival neighbours Liverpool considering there is a level playing fieldn, when it comes to finances, while Arsenal and Tottenham haven’t looked particularly convincing thus far.

If Leicester City could not only bank Champions League football but also win the Premier League title last term, then Everton won’t feel daunted by the prospect of challenging at the top and Koeman has already established a winning team spirit.

Out of all the summer signings, perhaps the acquisition of Williams in central defence is the most important of all. The Welshman is not a particularly flashy player but his leadership qualities and organisation has helped Swansea remain a top flight entity for several seasons.

His heroics for Wales at Euro 2016 really marked him out as top-drawer defender in the Premier League and he will be ready to help elevate Everton to new levels this season.

Everton were recently described as “top four material” by Tony Pulis and he’s someone who knows the Premier League inside out. Can they make the step up?

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