Niels Nkounkou expected at Saint-Etienne on Friday night to complete Everton loan exit
Neils Nkounkou is expected to arrive at Saint-Etienne on Friday evening to complete his latest loan move from Everton, Benjamin Quarez reports.
The French left-back had been on loan at Cardiff City for the first half of this season, after spending the previous campaign with Standard Liege in Belgium, but has reportedly “settled” a break from the Bluebirds deal and is set for Ligue 2.
La Parisien journalist Quarez had previously reported on 10 January that the French side were in “advanced discussions” over a loan move for the 22-year-old, and it appears those talks have been successful.
Reporting on Twitter on Friday afternoon (13 January) Quarez wrote: “Niels Nkounkou should arrive to him this evening in Saint-Etienne. The left-back has settled his loan break in Cardiff in recent hours.”
Moving on
It doesn’t look like Nkounkou has a major future at Goodison Park if he is being shunted around on loan to lower-league sides.
He had made 18 appearances in the Championship in the first half of the season, following 23 in the Jupiler Pro League last year, and since he is still young the club could have an eye on him coming into the first team set up once he’s had some more experience.
The free transfer arrival under Carlo Ancelotti has only featured seven times for the senior Everton side, but at least his lack of a large fee sets him apart from the long list of Toffees signings over recent seasons that haven’t made the contribution that was hoped for.
If Saint-Etienne are pleased with his contribution over the second half of the campaign then Everton would surely take the money if a permanent transfer was offered.
With Vitalii Mykolenko a solid starter in the first team but arguably a step down from Lucas Digne who he replaced, and Ruben Vinagre only brought in on loan as cover, the door is definitely open for improvements at the left-back position.
But Nkounkou isn’t being looked at this month to be the man to provide it and is now set for a spell across the English Channel.