SPORTSWORLD.AM
Everton confirmed that Ashley Young, Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia will leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of June, the club's official website reports.
Young joined the Toffees in July 2023 and his experience, leadership and versatility have been invaluable over the past two seasons. Before the final Premier League game at Goodison Park, he had made 68 appearances for Everton in a variety of positions, scoring against Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Begovic returned to Everton last summer after spending two years at the club (2021-2023). In total, he has made 10 appearances in two seasons. Virginia joined Everton from Arsenal in August 2018. Since then, the 25-year-old has made eight first-team appearances. Both goalkeepers have provided important competition and support to Jordan Pickford during his time at the Toffees.
"Since returning to the club, I have seen what a great professional Ash is. I know the leadership qualities he brought to the team during his time at Everton. His versatility, experience and knowledge have been very useful to both the team and me. Asmir and Joao have also worked hard and conducted themselves with impeccable integrity. On behalf of everyone at the club, I would like to thank them for their commitment and wish them well for the future."
The head coach also added:
"This is a difficult situation for many reasons, as a significant number of players are out of contract this summer. It is important for me to discuss the situation with each player individually to get clarification on their future. There are many factors that influence our decisions and we are currently in the process of making them. Some players will get answers this week, others next week. But the main thing is to do everything right. We also have five players on loan and we will inform them of their situation in due course."