2 players that should have left Everton in January

Phil Jagielka

It’s not a coincidence that Everton’s upturn in form since late-2016 has concurred with Phil Jagielka’s omission from the first team.

The Toffees struggled defensively for much of the first half of the campaign, despite signing Ashley Williams from Swansea in the summer, but since England international Jagielka was dropped and Koeman changed the system, they’ve been much better.

34-year-old Jagielka has played just one minute of action in 2017, with it looking likely that his decade-long spell at Goodison Park is coming to an end.

There were reports that former boss David Moyes was interested in bringing him to Sunderland, which could have been a great move for both parties, as Jagielka would get regular first team football, and the Black Cats would get an experienced defender with a wealth of Premier League know-how.

However, it wasn’t to be, and Jagielka will have to make-do with a substitute’s role at Everton for the rest of the campaign.