Niels Nkounkou deserves chance to impress at Everton as transfer news emerges on future
Saint-Etienne have reportedly begun discussions to sign Niels Nkounkou on a permanent basis this summer, but Everton must not give up on him considering his performances on loan this season.
The 22-year-old full-back has undergone a stunning upward trajectory in Ligue 2 – his third loan spell away from Goodison Park – registering six goals and six assists from 15 games.
French media outlet FootSur 7 revealed early last month that the 22-year-old is an in-demand player and is drawing interest from clubs all over Europe, but it seems as though Saint-Etienne are desperate to keep him.
Foot Mercato journalist Ignazio Genuardi took to his personal Twitter account on Friday morning [5 May] and revealed:
“Author of remarkable services since his arrival last January, Nkounkou will he stay in Sainté?
“There is competition, but the Greens have launched concrete discussions for the final transfer of the one who is now on loan from Everton.”
Nkounkou is enjoying the campaign of his relatively short career in Saint-Etienne colours, registering six goals and six assists in 15 games – an incredible number for a defender his age.
Such attacking quality full-backs don’t come around too often within the European game, hence the number of clubs interested in his services.
For that reason alone, Everton should be working night and day to keep him at Finch Farm seeing as they are in desperate need of another left-back – especially one who can come in and usurp Vitalii Mykolenko in the starting eleven.
Given Nkounkou’s terrific form, development and knack for spectacular goal or assist in a Saint-Etienne shirt all campaign, the Toffees will be silly to not hand him the opportunity to earn his spotlight at Goodison Park, starting in pre-season this summer.
The Everton squad will be undergoing plenty of change and revamp regardless of whether they stay in the Premier League or not and at the centre of that rebuild will be their desire to keep their young stars, Nkounkou is one of them.
There is simply no need to make any rash decisions regarding his future just yet as the defender is still just 22 with plenty of room to grow and blossom even further.
And who knows, if Nkounkou can establish himself as a key Everton player in the near future, the Toffees could recoup a significant fee for his signature, addressing their huge financial troubles.
The Blues have made a plethora of silly errors and decisions in the transfer market and selling the 22-year-old flying full-back could prove one of their biggest yet, should they sell him on this summer.