Everton have an extensive list of players who will be out of contract when the season expires or soon thereafter.
There's plenty of work to do either way as Everton, David Moyes, and new CEO Angus Kinnear look to bolster the squad even with the players who remain signed for the 2025/26 season, but having a list that long certainly complicates the matter even more.
We've already looked at four players who should be re-signed from this list, but there are more questions to ask about them, so let's take a deeper dive into whether a departure makes sense or if a player should be allowed to find another opportunity elsewhere.
No.1: CB Michael Keane
The English defender certainly has a flair for the dramatic and has often produced big moments during his tenure with the club, most notably the winner on Saturday away to Fulham.
But at 32-years-old and with already fairly limited pace and athleticism, Keane is one who should be left to find other opportunities at other clubs, with a move to somewhere like MLS in the United States probably making a lot of sense for the centerback.
There's still questions about the long term Everton future of a player like Jarrad Branthwaite, but with Jake O'Brien and James Tarkowski still on the squad for at least one more season (the latter will be out of contract after this next year), it will make sense to find a younger option to step in as the depth guy at the back.
No.2: CM Abdoulaye Doucouré
There's been a lot of chatter about Doucouré's Everton future over the last few weeks, with the Mali international not mincing words about his desire for a new contract that doesn't pay him less than what he's currently earning.
To be fair, he's well within his rights to ask for more money and to claim that he's scored a lot of massive goals for the club during his time, along with suggesting his overall importance to the side.
None of this is wrong.
But with the rumors swirling about a potential move to Saudi Arabia, it's also reasonable for Everton to thank him for his service to the club and make plans to move on for a younger, cheaper option in midfield.
No.1: LB/RB Ashley Young
With his surname becoming less and less accurate as the days go by, it's actually pretty remarkable that the England international is still playing in the Premier League.
Young, who'll turn 40 in July, will probably be the major decider in terms of whether he returns to play football anywhere next season, but Everton should politely decline to get involved.
Yes, he's been a massive help this year as he's amassed 34 appearances (19 starts) for Everton, slotting in at both fullback positions when called upon and often proving to be a stalwart along the backline.
But the arrival of David Moyes has led to Young's minutes going down, as he's only made three starts in that span, one of which was in the FA Cup loss to Bournemouth in February, deputizing for an injured Vitalii Mykolenko.
Everton have needed a long term solution at fullback, particularly right back, for years now, and while Young has been a great servant to the club for these past few seasons, it's time to find that player this summer rather than leaning on another band-aid.