Mason: No point going anywhere outside top six

MASON HOLGATE has warned Everton’s stars that leaving the club for anything other than Champions League football would be a sideways step.

The Toffees will round off a season to forget at Arsenal this afternoon having only secured their Premier League status with a 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace on Thursday.

But another battle awaits when the transfer window opens – namely keeping hold of the likes of Dominic Calvert-lewin, Richarlison and Jordan Pickford amid interest from elsewhere.

However, Holgate (above) believes that, unless those players get an offer from a top-six club, they would be better served staying at Goodison Park to build something special under Frank Lampard.

He said: “We have had one bad season, it is easy to overlook us where we are. We are under no illusions there are teams like the top four or five who are going to be appealing to players who are good enough because they are challenging for things and playing in

Champions League.

“I think if you look underneath that certain bracket, there are teams doing well one season and then not, I wouldn’t class them as a step up. It would be a sideways step.

“There isn’t a big pool of other clubs in the Premier League who would be more appealing because ultimately it’s not a step up.

Regardless of who stays or goes, Holgate is convinced that Everton won’t be involved in another fight for their top-flight lives next season.

He added: “It’s happened now this season, there’s nothing we can do other than learn from it and let that be the catalyst for where we want to be pushing.”