Everton will release Ashley Young and two other players when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
The Toffees are releasing the second-oldest player in the Premier League in Young, 39, who is just a few months more junior than Lukasz Fabianksi.
Young has accumulated 438 Premier League appearances across 19 seasons in the top flight with Watford, Aston Villa, Manchester United, and the Merseysiders.
The club are also letting go of Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia.
Goalkeeper Begovic, 37, returned to Everton at the start of the season but did not make a single appearance. Fellow custodian Virginia, 25, has been with the club since 2018 and made eight appearances for the senior team.
Manager David Moyes said: ‘Since my return to the Club, I’ve seen what a great professional Ash is and know the leadership qualities he has brought to the squad during his time at Everton. His versatility, experience and know-how have also been really beneficial to the team and me.
Everton have released Ashley Young aged 39 on the back of two seasons of service
David Moyes admitted it is a ‘complicated situation’ for them with players’ contracts expiring
‘Asmir and Joao have also worked really hard and conducted themselves impeccably.
‘On behalf of everyone at the Club, I want to thank all three players for their service and we wish them all the very best for the future.
‘This is a complicated situation in many respects, with so many players out of contract this summer. It’s important to me to speak with all of those players, individually, to give them clarity on their situations.
‘Lots of factors influence our decision-making and we’re currently working through that process with the players, which takes time. Some will have clarity by the end of this week, and for others it may get to next week, but it’s important it’s handled in the right way.
‘We also have five players on loan and we will let them know their situations in due course.’
More to follow.
