Vitalii Mykolenko has ‘three or four weeks’ to save Everton career as January sale news breaks
Vitalli Mykolenko is one of several Everton stars whose contracts are due to expire at the end of the season.
The left-back has been a reliable performer for the Toffees in the Premier League over the years, but his limitations as a player have often been highlighted when things are not going well.
Mykolenko struggled badly for Everton in their defeat to Tottenham last Sunday, as he was part of a defence that shipped three goals on home turf.
David Moyes has depended on the Ukraine international since his return to the club back in January, but it now appears that it is now or never for him on Merseyside.
Everton stance on Vitalii Mykolenko to become clear imminently
Everton are already receiving interest in Mykolenko from abroad, with clubs in both Italy and Spain tracking him ahead of the January window.
The 26-year-old’s contract situation makes him an appealing proposition for interested clubs, not least those on foreign shores, who could sign him on a pre-contract agreement as early as January.
The defender’s future continues to look uncertain at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and the Toffees are running out of time to seal the extension that would keep him around for the long term.
Ex-Everton scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Goodison News – believes that Mykolenko will depart the club if his contract situation isn’t addressed by the end of November.
“Maybe the football club feel that it would be best to sell him (Mykolenko),” King said.
“We’ll see in the next three or four weeks whether Everton want to keep a player of his experience. By the end of November, we’ll see whether they’re going to make a move to offer him a new contract, and if not, then he’ll be on his way out.”
Vitalli Mykolenko cannot leave without reinforcements
Adam Aznou’s struggles since joining Everton in the summer have exposed the lack of depth in the backline once again.
Moyes has a handful of reliable options to form his defence, but there simply isn’t the required level of depth, and that will be exacerbated even further if Mykolenko leaves either in January or next summer.
Aznou doesn’t appear to be ready for the Premier League, so it would be completely unwise for Everton to allow Mykolenko to depart as well without at least one, if not two, capable replacements lined up.
A Premier League season tests squad depth to the very limit, and at the moment, the lack of quality options will be a real concern for the Toffees.
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