Everton are a club that have been steeped in mediocrity for years now, with many players deemed rather average tied down to long and ludicrous contracts on big money.
Whilst this has left them financially hoodwinked for years now, there could be something of a mass exodus this summer as nine players are out of contract. Then, in the season following, plenty more big earners are set to follow suit.
Whilst most will be waved off with little resistance, the recent resurgence of Abdoulaye Doucoure has caused some debate amongst fans as to whether a few months of impressive displays should merit a new deal despite his numerous years of disappointment previously.
Many believe he still has something to offer, yet it could just be the case that he is in fact just playing for another payday.
Either way, perhaps this could mark an opportunity for Sean Dyche to provide a show of faith to the youth, allowing the £120k-per-week titan to leave in favour of an academy starlet like Isaac Price.
Who is Isaac Price?
The 19-year-old has been at the Merseyside outfit since the age of seven and made his first team debut on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign.
Since then, he became well-liked by former boss Frank Lampard and was included in the senior squad on many occasions. The 44-year-old even handed Price his Premier League debut; an experience the youngster branded "one of the best days of my life".
The inclusion of the teenager in their mid-season friendlies during the World Cup saw the former Chelsea midfielder vocalise this praise, as he claimed: "I suppose it gives an opportunity to Isaac Price who was the best player on the pitch.”
Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic echoed this sentiment, as he suggested that: "Isaac was outstanding".
Having made three senior appearances for the Toffees, Price is an all-action midfielder who clearly has an eye for creativity too. Across his 57 appearances for the U21s side, he has notched five goals and four assists.
His former boss David Unsworth has also been a big fan of the maestro's, labelling him "terrific" after one display in particular where they defeated Arsenal's U21s.
For comparison, Doucoure has only scored six goals and recorded eight assists in 87 games for the club, despite initially signing as a goalscoring midfielder from Watford.
A few months of impressive displays should not cloud what has been a poor signing for Everton, who cannot afford to have their judgement impaired too.
The future is bright in their youth setup, and they should finally start to utilise it. This opportunity to ditch the Mali international for Price could be a landmark moment for the future of this club, and outline the strategy they intend to take to return it to the pinnacle of English football.