To paraphrase the scout that recruited Billy Beane, the protagonist of Moneyball, everyone will one day be told that they can no longer play the beautiful game. For some, it's at 18, for others, it may be 40. But we are all told.
Every summer, the Premier League brutally reveals exactly which players have been told their time has come, with a list of all the individuals released by each top-flight team.
For some, it is a question of seeing out their contract in search of a free transfer and lucrative signing-on fee elsewhere. Yet, for many others, it is the end of the road in the Premier League.
Here is the full list of released players at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
Arsenal
Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined Arsenal as a six-year-old but spent the final 18 months of his two decades at the club on loan. Fellow academy graduate Reiss Nelson is also out of contract this summer but the club announced that negotiations over a renewal are ongoing.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth let four senior players run out the final year of their contracts. The club's Player of the Year Jefferson Lerma has already joined Premier League rivals Crystal Palace on a free.
Only two players have ever scored more Premier League goals for Bournemouth than Junior Stanislas but the 33-year-old is on his way out of the door alongside Jordan Zemura and Jack Stacey.
Aston Villa
Ashley Young admitted: "I want to stay," on the final day of the 2022/23 season but has been deemed surplus to requirements. The trophy-laden 37-year-old has been released in an off-season that has barely begun but has already been busy for Aston Villa.
After suffering a flip-flop decision from Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany, Villa have poached Sevilla's chief strategist Monchi.
Brentford
Pontus Jansson became the first player to captain Brentford in England's top flight since George Paterson in 1947. However, injuries hampered the 32-year-old throughout the 2022/23 campaign, prompting his departure alongside regular substitute Saman Ghoddos.
Tariqe Fosu and Joel Valencia spent last season out on loan and will not return to Brentford's first team in a playing capacity after the summer.
Brighton
Haydon Roberts did not impress enough during his loan spell in League One with Derby County last season to convince Brighton to extend his contract. However, the left-back's performances were noteworthy enough to entice Bristol City into a contract offer.
Belgian centre-back Antef Tsoungui was snapped up by Eredivisie champions Feyenoord after his deal expired.
Chelsea
Chelsea's squad doesn't need to be pruned so much as it requires a chainsaw. If Mauricio Pochettino is to fit all of the players into the changing room, the powers that be at Stamford Bridge will have to jettison more bodies in the coming months.
However, resisting the temptation to offer Tiemoue Bakayoko a new deal is a step in the right direction.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace finished the season in free-scoring form with a fluid and fleet-footed set-up. The Eagles will be down two grizzled midfielders as James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic depart this summer. Back-up goalkeeper Jack Butland has joined Scottish giants Rangers on a free transfer.
Wilfried Zaha's deal expires this summer but the club have officially offered their star winger a contract. Whether the 30-year-old will finally be tempted away from Selhurst Park - with the untold riches of the Saudi Pro League looming - remains to be seen. Nathan Ferguson is also weighing up a new deal.
Everton
Yerry Mina left Goodison Park on considerably better terms with the fanbase than the nadir of January. After a defeat to lowly Southampton, the towering centre-back was surrounded by furious Everton fans demanding an improvement.
Mina started the final four games of the season which earned the seven points that ultimately kept Everton in the Premier League. Andros Townsend will join Mina in an exit but made his last appearance for the club in March 2022 before suffering a debilitating ACL injury.
Fulham
After a surprisingly convincing return to Premier League football, Fulham are parting ways with the experienced (and scarcely-used) trio of Joe Bryan, Paulo Gazzaniga and Shane Duffy.
However, Marco Silva has sanctioned contract offers for Willian and Neeskens Kebano, both of whom are tied to deals that expire on 30 June.
Leeds
Adam Forshaw didn't start a single Premier League victory for Leeds throughout the 2022/23 campaign, last beginning a top-flight win in March 2022.
In a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation, Sam Allardyce shunted Joel Robles between the sticks. The goalkeeper conceded 11 goals in four games, failing to earn a win or a new contract.
Leicester
Leicester paid the price for their inactivity in the summer transfer market with the club's first Premier League relegation since 2004. The Foxes can scarcely afford to be as passive in the current window after confirming the release of seven senior players.
Youri Tielemans has already secured a move to Europe-bound Aston Villa and Leicester will also miss out on a transfer fee for Caglar Soyuncu.
The wizened old heads of Daniel Amartey and Ryan Bertrand have been let go while newly minted MBE Jonny Evans is reportedly in negotiations with the club even though he has been included on the Premier League's list of released players.
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp said goodbye to "four Liverpool legends" at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Roberto Firmino and James Milner started a bonkers 4-4 draw against Southampton in the last game of the season and received a warm ovation from the travelling Merseyside support at the final whistle.
In a fitting reflection of their Liverpool careers, both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita were injured for the season ender.
Man City
Speculation is rife surrounding the future of Manchester City's treble-winning captain Ilkay Gundogan. With interest from Arsenal looming, Gundogan was included on the City's released list but could still renegotiate a new deal with the freshly-crowned European champions.
Man Utd
Manchester United confirmed the release of two defenders that were once considered hugely promising. Injuries eventually ground Phil Jones down while Axel Tuanzebe has failed to rediscover the form which helped him muzzle Kylian Mbappe during a Champions League tie in 2020.
David de Gea has been grouped together with these outcasts but 90min understands that the keeper and his manager are keen to negotiate a new deal.
Newcastle
While Sean Longstaff steals himself for his first season of Champions League football, his brother Matty has been released by the club.
Republic of Ireland defender Ciaran Clark has also been let go while Matt Ritchie and Dan Burn had one-year extensions triggered.
Nottingham Forest
The most active Premier League club in last season's transfer windows have sanctioned several departures already this summer.
While opting against extending the loans of either goalkeeper Keylor Navas or Dean Henderson, the Tricky Trees have parted ways with Jesse Lingard after 12 months. Andre Ayew lasted just half a season before the Ghana international was given the green light to leave.
Southampton
Theo Walcott last played for Southampton in the Championship as a 16-year-old. The former England international did not fancy a return to the second tier aged 34, opting to leave at the expiry of his contract.
Mohamed Elyounoussi and veteran goalkeeper Willy Caballero came to the same conclusion.
Tottenham
There was the distinct danger that Lucas Moura's last meaningful act in a Tottenham shirt would have been to present the ball to Diogo Jota for a last-minute Liverpool equaliser.
However, the Brazilian left north London on a far brighter note, weaving through the yawning chasms in Leeds' backline before finding the net on the last day of his last season at the club.
West Ham
While most of West Ham's transfer window will revolve around the potential destination of Declan Rice, the east London outfit have had parted ways with Manuel Lanzini, another hugely talented midfielder but at the other end of his career.
Wolves
Joao Moutinho was lauded as "one of the best players to ever pull on the old gold" according to Wolves' sporting director Matt Hobbs. While Adama Traore certainly shone in flashes, Diego Costa only begun to demonstrate his wiley worth once he built up full match fitness towards the end of his single season at Molineux.
READ THE TRANSFER RUMOURS OF THE PAST WEEK HERE
This article was originally published on 90min as Every player released by Premier League clubs this summer.
