In today’s Everton roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Toffees. Jordan Pickford has praised summer signing Fabian Delph, former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has his say on Everton’s chance at making the top six, and the club could be set to register a major loss on the sale of Cenk Tosun.

Pickford buzzing over Delph signing

Report: Pickford, who has played alongside Delph for England, expressed his delight to the Liverpool Echo over the signing of the ex-Manchester City man. The goalkeeper said: “The lads were asking what type of lad he was. I was telling them he was a proper leader, a good lad around the place but I only knew him from England but I knew he was a proper leader and knew how to win.

“He’s settled quickly. He’s a great lad, all the lads buzz off him, he shows his qualities out on the training pitch and that shows on game day as well.”

“His quality is second to none, he can find a pass and he’s not scared to get on the ball, which City players aren’t,” Pickford continued.

“Delphy was playing for Leeds when he was 16-years-old, he’s experienced and he brings all of that with him and the winning mentality he talked about when he signed, hopefully helps everyone else.

“It’s great to have someone like Delphy in the squad, more leaders the better and I would class him as a leader, as well as many others, in the squad.

“That helps our club captains as well, so if we have more of them on the pitch it should make the game easier because everyone is demanding of each other.”

Verdict: Delph, as he proved for the champions, is a worthy addition to almost any squad, with his versatility and work rate. As demonstrated by Transfermarkt, the Englishman has played left-back, central midfield and as a left midfielder over the years.

His time at left-back came in City’s title-winning season of 100 points when Delph averaged a performance rating of 7.16 in 22 games as a replacement to the injured Benjamin Mendy. This season, the 29-year-old has averaged four tackles per game in the three times he has played and has so far proved to be a solid signing by Marco Silva, considering the injury to Andre Gomes and the poor form of Morgan Schneiderlin, who scored a 4/10 against Sheffield United.

As mentioned, with his versatility, Delph is a fantastic addition, and with the injuries and inconsistencies from those in the squad, it could prove to be one of the signings of the summer window for just £10m.

Club set for major loss on Tosun sale

Report: According to Football Insider, Everton are set to take a major loss on Tosun, who Silva wants to offload in January. The striker was set to move to Qatar, where the window does not finish until September 30, but with that avenue now closed, the Toffees are prepared to let the Turkey international leave in the winter for around £12m less than they bought him for.

Verdict: Everton signed Tosun from Besiktas for £27m, and with Silva set to let him go for £15m (as per the reports), it is fair to say this has been a poor piece of business. The 28-year-old came off the back of a sublime season in his homeland, bagging 20 goals as he was the main man in Besitakas winning the Super Lig.

However, since moving to Goodison Park, Tosun has bagged just three times in 36 appearances for the Merseysiders and this season he has played only 35 minutes in total, as he slipped further down the pecking order thanks to the addition of Moise Kean.

It would have perhaps been a wise move to let the former Besiktas man move to Qatar this summer, and used the cash from the sale in the winter window. It’s fairly simple – he has not worked out and probably won’t, and Silva should cash in on him as soon as possible

Benitez on the top six battle

Report: In a Q&A with The Athletic (as quoted by Inside Futbol), former Premier League manager Benitez has weighed in on the debate on the ever-growing potential that the likes of West Ham United, Everton or Leicester City could break the barrier on the top six.

Now managing in China at Dalian Yifang, Benitez said: “We talk about ‘six teams’, but for me Leicester, West Ham, Wolves and Everton can progress and challenge.

“Again, I will say Tottenham have all the experience and quality to do well and to stay in the top four.”

Verdict: If Benitez had stated this two months back, it would have been much easier to agree with considering the Toffees finished eighth last campaign and certainly looked like carrying with them some fantastic momentum into the new season. Silva’s men beat Manchester United 4-0, Arsenal 1-0, West Ham 2-0 and Chelsea 2-0 within the final few weeks of the season, and even held free-scoring Liverpool to a 0-0 in a Merseyside derby.

Ultimately, Everton picked up 22 points from their final 33 available towards the end, and it did look like they could potentially threaten the top six once again. However, it has been the exact opposite this year, conceding nine goals and scoring just five – the joint second least amount in the competition.

Across the squad, there have been worrying signs for the fans, with the defence letting in two goals in each of their five matches prior to the Carabao Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday, and forwards such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tosun and Kean are yet to pitch in with Premier League goals.

Right now, challenging the top six looks a long way off for Everton.