Everton are reportedly set to make a decision over the future of Conor Coady in the next 24 hours.
The England international joined the Toffees from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan deal last summer.
Coady made 25 competitive appearances during the 2022-23 campaign, chipping in with two goals and one assist.
The Wolves loanee has struggled for playing time since Sean Dyche replaced Frank Lampard in the Everton dugout in February.
Coady had to wait until May 14 for his first appearance under the former Burnley boss, while his first start of Dyche's tenure arrived in Sunday's crucial home win against Bournemouth, which secured Premier League survival.
As it stands, Coady will now return to Wolves, but Everton have the option of signing the defender on a permanent deal.
According to Football Insider, Wolves have set a deadline of May 31 for Everton to decide whether they want to take up the option.
The transfer would supposedly cost the Toffees around £4.5m, which may appeal to the Merseyside club as they look to meet Financial Fair Play rules.
A relieved Coady admitted after the win over Bournemouth that he had experienced the "hardest season" of his life, and hinted that he would be open to being part of the rebuild at the club.
Coady told Sky Sports: "Relief. This [relegation battles] has become a bit of a thing now, and we don't want to make it a bit of a thing. This is where we need to improve and need to reset.
"I'll be honest, it has been the hardest season of my life and my career. Finally we're there now and there is a lot of relief.
"It's something you don't want to be a part of, this giant of a football club, going down. It is up to us now. We have to be better as a football club. We can't keep this going as a common theme.
"We have to draw a line in the sand somewhere and get better. It has been a real hard season. This club has to improve because it is a giant."
Coady has a contract with Wolves until June 2025, but it remains to be seen whether he has a future at Molineux should Everton decide against signing him on a permanent deal.
