Tom Davies' refusal to sign a new deal with Everton has come as a "surprise" to many, claims journalist Paul Brown.
Everton transfer news – What's the latest on Tom Davies?
Everton revealed last week that 24-year-old Tom Davies, who has been with the club since age 11, would be leaving the side when his current £25,000-a-week contract expires at the end of the month.
His departure comes despite the board's attempts to keep him at Goodison Park with the offer of a new contract, a development some sets of fans were "unhappy" with, per Brown.
In a statement to the fans, Everton Director of Football Kevin Thelwell said: "We offered Tom a new contract, but he feels he has reached the stage in his career where he needs regular first-team football and, as a result, he wants to look at alternative options away from Everton."
The 5 foot 11 dynamo made his Premier League debut for the club on April 16th 2016, and has since gone on to make 179 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven and assisting eight.
However, last season saw him start just 11% of the team's games and feature in just 15% of the available minutes, as per transfermarkt.
What did Journalist Paul Brown say about Tom Davies' situation at Everton?
Brown was clear that while Davies' refusal to sign the new deal surprised many onlookers, it was a decision that perhaps pleased some sets of the Everton faithful.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I think a lot of people were probably quite surprised that Davis turned down the contract that was offered to him, a lot of Everton fans were unhappy that he was offered it in the first place."
How did Tom Davies perform last season?
Like most of his teammates at Goodison, last season didn't see the 24-year-old's best performances on Merseyside.
According to WhoScored, he started just four games across the Premier League this season, coming off the bench a further 15 and averaging an undeniably poor match rating of just 6.12 during his time on the pitch.
However, the Liverpool-born midfielder's underlying numbers suggest that there is still a player somewhere in there and potentially, with a fresh start, he could rediscover some of his best form once again.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Davies sits in the top 6% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 12% for blocks, the top 13% for touches in the opposition's penalty area and the top19% for total shots, all per 90.
It was only a couple of years ago that Toffees' legend Leon Osman was hailing the player for his performances in big games, telling the Athletic:
"He's learning to be himself and looks more comfortable in his own game. You're also seeing more maturity in his performances now.
"You can rely on him to give you a certain level of performance."
It is undeniable that Davies has had a poor year by his standards, but it still looks like there could be a good player in there, so maybe a move away from Everton would suit all parties involved.