Over the last few years, or at least since Kevin Thelwell came in, Everton have made a clear and conscious effort to ship out the dead wood at Goodison Park.
And, under Farhad Moshiri’s watch, they had accumulated plenty.
Huge fees and mouth-watering wages attached to cluelessly long contracts were haemorrhaging the club financially, and these years of misconduct finally came to a head during the most recent Premier League season.
Two points deductions in just one campaign made history, as too did the initial ten points that were stolen from them during the first charge.
It was unprecedented, and made even more frustrating due to the blatant steps towards sustainability made.
Asmir Begovic now training with Aldershot Town
However, whilst the club has had to be far more careful with its finances, this has often led to some frustrating negotiations too.
The sales of Richarlison and Anthony Gordon are the most obvious consequence of these failures, but even things like contract extensions have proven tricky to organise, given what little funds there has been to distribute.
Perhaps that played a part in the summer of 2023, where they actually saw their proposed extension sent to Asmir Begovic rejected by the veteran goalkeeper.
He had proven to be a solid backup to Jordan Pickford across his two years at Goodison Park, and to see him leave seemed a shame.
However, to see him now training with non-league Aldershot Town after just one year with QPR suggests that he perhaps is not quite at the requisite level.
Meanwhile, Joao Virginia has offered an ample alternative for when their number one has been absent or unavailable.
Jordan Pickford is an Everton hero
It was clear that, once Begovic decided to depart, more emphasis was placed on Jordan Pickford.
After all, in years gone by, tactical alterations had been made between goalkeepers, like when Carlo Ancelotti opted for Jonas Olsen ahead of the former Sunderland man due to his penchant for losing focus against Newcastle United.
However, Sean Dyche provided him with a huge show of faith by not opting to sign a new backup goalkeeper, instead promoting Virginia to the first team.
The Portuguese shot-stopper had spent little time within senior football, and thus was unlikely to start many matches.
A solid string of three appearances in the FA Cup had fans raving about his impressive stint though.
However, Pickford played 42 matches across all competitions last campaign, bringing his total appearances for Everton up to 279. For reference, that is more than Tim Cahill, Duncan Ferguson and even Howard Kendall.
He has saved the club on countless occasions, and endears himself to fans all the time with his sparkling personality. If he is not already, Pickford will inevitably leave Merseyside an Everton hero.