Manager Ronald Koeman has revealed he wants James McCarthy to be a big part of his plans for next season.
The Blues midfielder has had a frustrating stop-start campaign, with a succession of injury problems restricting him to just 13 appearances in Koeman’s first season in charge.
However, the Everton boss remains a big fan of the Republic of Ireland international and he’s looking forward to having him fighting fit and ready to challenge for a first-team place when the squad returns for pre-season training in July.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s trip to Arsenal, the Dutchman said: “Of course I want to keep James McCarthy because all of the times when he was really fit and on his level this season, most of the time he was a starting player.