Ronald Koeman expected to demand more from Everton board ahead of summer transfer window

Ronald Koeman will call on Everton's board to sign players like Chelsea's Eden Hazard in the summer and may have "washed his hands" of Kevin Mirallas, according to former Toffee Michael Ball.

Everton have made significant progress under Koeman and will be plying their trade in the Europa League next season. Despite the evident improvement, the blue half of Liverpool are still far from being considered in the same bracket as Premier League title contenders Chelsea and Tottenham, and Ball reckons Koeman will want Farhad Moshiri, Bill Kenwright et al to give him the tools to bridge that gap this summer.

"On Sunday [30 April] Chelsea looked like the only team trying to win it," Ball wrote in his column for The Liverpool Echo. "We gave them too much space to do what they wanted to do, and they've got quality in every position. Thibaut Courtois had a very quiet afternoon.

"Sometimes you have to hold your hands up when you lose to a side like Chelsea but we didn't even trouble them and that was disappointing. Not having Morgan Schneiderlin available was a big blow but he's one player. Overall the game showed how far we still have to go.

"Ronald Koeman will be questioning the board, telling them he needs players in the mould of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Pedro. But as much as Everton were frustrated, it's also worth keeping in perspective.

"Everton are a long way ahead of the side in eighth but a long way off Tottenham and Chelsea too. Expectations have risen this season, and the club is going in the right direction. Koeman will ask Farhad Moshiri and the board to help him emulate sides like Chelsea as we move forward.

Major squad upheaval is expected at Goodison Park this summer, and one of the players who in danger of being shown the exit door is Kevin Mirallas. Young striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was preferred over the Belgium international by Koeman for the 3-0 defeat by Chelsea, and Ball thinks the 29-year-old's stint on Merseyside is coming to an end.

"A penny for Kevin Mirallas' thoughts on Sunday? Koeman started the 20-year-old Dominic Calvert-Lewin, a striker playing out of position, ahead of him," Ball added. "I think that will tell Mirallas a lot. He has his supporters among the fan base and on his day he can be a threat, but Koeman might just have washed his hands of him."