Everton veterans to be offered extensions by Silva

Two of Everton’s longest-serving players will be offered extensions to stay with the club next season and bring a veteran presence in the squad.

According to the Mirror, Leighton Baines has had conversations with manager Marco Silva and club captain Phil Jagielka is also on the docket for a similar proposal from the club.

Baines will be 35 at the end of this year, and has been with the Blues since 2007 when he joined from Wigan Athletic. The Kirkby-born leftback has only featured eight times this season thanks to injuries and the outstanding form of his replacement Lucas Digne.

Jagielka, who joined the Toffees a month before Baines, turns 37 at the start of the 2019-20 season. The centerhalf has played six times for Silva this season, and picked up a goal as well as a red card.

Speaking to the press yesterday ahead of this weekend’s trip to Crystal Palace, Silva spoke about the two players and their futures -

“It is not decided yet, of course. When we have a decision about that, they will be the first ones to know.

“I already spoke with Leighton, Jags I will do in the next few days or weeks. Leighton knows what is my idea already, the idea of the club also and it is up to us to talk in the next few days and weeks to speak about this situation.

“They have all the respect of ourselves. They are fully focused on what we want in our desire and our goal as a team. They are there, they are there working really hard for us to achieve what we want because it is the most important thing.

“You are talking about our captain, our sub captain they are really important players and they deserve all our respect.”

Both players will see their current deals expire at the end of this season. A one-year deal will keep both players around the dressing room for another season where they can continue to impart their wisdom to the young blood in the squad, without posing a significant risk to the club should they be prone to injuries as they have both been this season.