Everton confirm trio of summer departures

Everton have confirmed that three first-team players will leave this summer.

Veteran utility man Ashley Young and goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia are all set to depart when their contracts expire at the end of this season.

Young joined the Blues in July 2023, linking up with his ex-Watford teammate turned manager Sean Dyche, and went on to make 68 appearances in all competitions.

Begovic, meanwhile, will see his second spell at Goodison Park curtailed, having returned last summer after his previous two-year stay had ended in 2023.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international featured 10 times across both stints as he provided experienced cover for the club’s first-choice stopper Jordan Pickford.

Virginia, 25, joined Everton in 2018 from Arsenal’s academy ranks and played five times in between loan spells with Reading, Sporting Lisbon and Cambuur.

David Moyes paid tribute to the departing trio on Saturday but admitted that further discussions would take place .with the club’s remaining out-of-contract players.

He said: “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.”