Roberto Martinez to let Everton youth stars shine in hunt for elusive Champions League spot

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Roberto Martinez will give youth a chance as he tries to earn Everton that elusive top-four place.

The Goodison boss saw his side offer a strong Champions League challenge before fading in the final month of the season.

Ross Barkley

After paying Chelsea £27million to make Romelu Lukaku’s loan deal permanent, many expected the Blues to follow that with more big-money signings.

Martinez confirmed there would be new faces, but wants to discover if the youngsters in his squad can bridge that gap at the top.

“Young players bring you that unknown quantity that allows you to reach higher aims,” he said.

“We have the stability of the senior players who week in, week out, give you a solid level. But the youngsters are very important in trying to help us push ourselves into something bigger.

“To continue what we did last season it is also important to confirm that players like Ross Barkley and John Stones believe this is the right place for them to develop as footballers and challenge for everything next season.”