New Everton manager Ronald Koeman is preparing to hold talks with John Stones and Romelu Lukaku in a bid to safeguard their futures.
Lukaku has made no secret of his desire to leave the Blues this summer in pursuit of Champions League football with a host of elite European clubs said to be tracking the striker.
Stones is also set to be high in demand, with Manchester City and Chelsea both widely expected to make a move for the England international.
But Koeman, discount speaking at his first press conference since taking the reins, is hopeful that the pair, currently at Euro 2016, can be convinced that their immediate futures lie at Goodison Park.
He said: “You don’t want to lose your best players.
“I’ve not spoken to Romelu yet. I’m starting to work about Everton and of course I will talk to several players.
“Lukaku is a key player a goalscorer and you don’t want to lose one of your best players. He’s a young player who needs support and to improve. We like to keep that type of player.
“I like to help everybody and of course you sometimes have something more because he played in the same position as me,” he added.
“There will be good support for the boy (Stones) but first I want to speak to him personally, get his feelings and that will be what we do.
“It’s not so difficult. I had that experience in my last two years always a lot of interest in the players.
“First of all we like to keep these types of players. You don’t sell you best players but I’ll have meetings and we’ll see what happens.”
Koeman has also refused to discount the possibility of raiding Southampton, having already been tipped to make a swift return to his former club for Graziano Pelle and Fraser Forster.
“I don’t know, it’s difficult. I like most of their players of course, but we will see what happens. Maybe it’s better I don’t make more fights with them,” he admitted.