Abdoulaye Doucoure insists he will not take a pay cut to stay at Everton.
Doucoure is among 13 first-team players whose time with David Moyes’ side is set to expire this summer after the club passed up on a one-year extension.
The Mali international has featured 169 times for the Blues, producing several pivotal goals including their final-day escape against Bournemouth in 2023.
But Doucoure is adamant that he will not entertain potentially taking a reduction in wages in order to try and prolong his spell on Merseyside.
“I don’t wait for them because my contract is finished and I have some offers on the table,” he told The Ben Foster Podcast.
“In the next three weeks, I will make my decision. Everton is massive for me but maybe the chapter is finished. I would be happy, at the end of the day, if I leave the club.
“It’s funny because now I hear on especially X and Instagram that Everton fans were saying: ‘We’d love Doucoure to stay but he has to lower his wages’ and I’m amazed.
“Why are they talking about my salary? To be honest, I deserve to have my salary right now. And, to be honest, I won’t reduce my salary to stay at the club because I don’t think I deserve to reduce my salary.
“I’m playing every season, I’m scoring important goals, I’m very important for the club. No, I should have an increase. I’m only 33 years old and think I have three, four years easily in the Premier League.
“For me, to reduce my salary is something I will do. I’m sorry.
“I hear a lot of things about my salary and I’m like: ‘Guys I see Mo Salah or Van Dijk they have a pay rise because they are playing good.
“OK I’m not at that level, Everton is not at the level of Liverpool but I’m sorry, I’m playing every game for five years.
“There were a couple of players playing for Everton, I’m sorry, on an even higher salary and not playing as much but people always spoke about me.”