Everton decide against extending Doucouré's contract

He will be free to negotiate a new contract with the club under different terms.

I think he's worth another season as we transition.

Be just like a new signing :-)

Okay he has been okay the last couple under Moyes, but didn't he do similar after scoring the goal that ensured our safety against Bournemouth. Sat back and provided very little, but still got picked each game ?

Let's concentrate on a sensible rebuild with younger, eager, talents who will give their all alongside some old experienced hands - Gana, Tarks and Picks !

Possibly delivered the most value of any pre 2021 Moshiri era signings (which is kind of a damned by faint praise observation but not intended to be mealy mouthed).

I have been expecting him to head off in summer - possibly Saudi (why wouldn't you?). Good luck to him if he does. We move on.

He's probably off to Saudi, as no one else would offer him big wages, but I hope it works out for him.

I have to be thankful for his goal against Bournemouth, he will always be remembered for that, thank you.

He will be leaving free and gracias, which seems a shame.

It is clear to all of us he is a player with limited technical abilities but is a willing runner. That was fine for us over the last number of years when staying in the league was the focus.

If there is to be any evolution at all across the squad, then it makes complete sense that he moves on after this season and we opt for younger, more dynamic and technically gifted players in this role.

All the best to him; clearly his heart has been in the right place but his finishing most certainly was not.

I get players agents may be asking but there's 11 games to go, lots to play for? Why demotivate players?

Doucoure and Gueye allegedly had offers from Saudi Arabia (the new MLS), so I'm guessing they wanted an answer sooner rather than later.

Coleman, Young, Keane, Harrison, Lindstrom, Alcaraz are the next decisions to make.

Out of that lot, I'd only keep Lindstrom and Alcaraz.

It's big for us obviously. But as we improve we'll have to start paying this and more to a lot of players.

I cannot recall a player who worked harder or had more obvious love for the club than Doucs. He has done the badge proud. I hope he gets subbed off in the final game at Goodison so that he can get the farewell roar from the crowd he deserves. He epitomizes Everton itself in recent years -- grossly imperfect but relentless in passion and effort, and ultimately a survivor.

Two images of him will remain with me. One, of course, is that goal against Bournemouth. The other is celebrating in front of the RS fans a few weeks ago -- I know some of y'all didn't care for it, but I loved it.

And hey, this makes DK a happy man, so it's a good thing!

I gotta know... when did you EVER see him take his foot off the gas?

I never saw that, not for a minute in 140 games. He frequently drove me crazy, but never, ever because of lack of effort.

To me, he has always looked like he has been fully committed to the club and played with a smile on his face...But then again, he should be smiling on £130,000 a week.

He was undoubtedly our most important player in Dyche's 1st season in how we were set up but thankfully we've moved on from that nightmare now, and Doucoure will be a peripheral figure once we have fully fit squad, so it's the right time to move on for both parties.

I'd use that £130,000 wages to try and sign Angel Gomes on a Bosman this summer.

Brighton and Bournemouth have done very well as minnows to get where they are - but they haven't achieved anything that we would be proud of (indeed they only managed about the same points as us last season if you ignore our disgraceful deduction).

They are absolutely good models to follow for the next stage of our development but at some point we will need to pay the sorts of salaries the richest 9 clubs pay.

And within the top richest 9 clubs £130k pw isn't a massive salary.

If we're to establish ourselves in the top 6 or top 4 (possibly even top 8 unfortunately) then at some point we'll have to pay the going rate or thereabouts for salaries at that level.

He started strong in a defensive kind of role under Carlo in Carlo's first season but the next year his stats in a more active role dropped off under Rafa, he carried on being poor under Frank Lampard to the extent he was dropped then suddenly with six months of his contract left he had (by his standards) a goal glut under Dyche to end that season and earn a new deal. Since when we've kept him on the straight and narrow by running year to year. Likewise at Watford he started off well then by year three his goal involvements had halved from the prior two seasons.

They were second only to Chelsea in spending among all of Europe's leagues during the 2024 summer transfer window, spending just under £200m.