Everton defender Niels Nkounkou to pen new deal, will head on loan to Cardiff
Everton defender Niels Nkounkou is on the brink of signing a new deal which will keep him at Goodison Park, according to L’Equipe.
The 21-year-old has only played six games for the Toffees since he arrived on Merseyside in 2020, with just two in the Premier League, and he was sent out on loan to Standard Liege last season.
Over in Belgium, he made 25 appearances and returned to Finch Farm over the summer but he has not featured under Frank Lampard with Vitaliy Mykolenko ruling the left-back spot.
Despite that, Everton want to keep him at the club for longer than his current contract, which expires at the end of the season, and have offered a new deal that is likely to be accepted.
As soon as he does sign on the dotted line, the French youth international is going to head out on loan to Championship side Cardiff City under manager Steve Morison.
Last chance
Nkounkou will know that if he does not perform for the Bluebirds then he can kiss goodbye to any chance he has of becoming a regular feature for Everton.
Mykolenko arrived in January and really started to excel in a blue shirt and Lampard has understandably kept him involved and not been tempted to bring the Frenchman back into the fold.
Cardiff might be the ideal place for him to find that spark to ignite his challenge for a place at Everton as was seen last season when Cody Drameh, on loan from Leeds, starred under Morison.
Even if he does do well in the Welsh capital, he may not make any inroads into the Toffees’ squad but a lot of that could come down to the level that they are playing next season.
There is still work to do to ensure they are a Premier League side for the 2023-24 campaign and if not, Nkounkou could come into his own.