Everton have yet to make a decision on Niels Nkounkou’s future with the club believing he could still be a bright prospect for the years to come.
Nkounkou is currently on-loan to Saint-Etienne back in his native France and a report from Homme du Match claimed Everton will place the 22-year-old on the transfer list this summer but the Ligue 2 outfit will struggle to find the €3million required to make his move a permanent switch. The Loire outfit have won the French title a joint record 10 times along with Olympique Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain but have fallen on hard times in recent years, culminating in their relegation last season.
The ECHO understands Saint-Etienne do have an option to buy Nkounkou, who came on as a 64th minute substitute in France Under-21s goalless draw with Spain in Vannes on Tuesday night, but it has been set relatively high as Everton think he has potential. Snapped up by Marcel Brands on a free transfer in July 2020 after his contract at Marseille, where he played 43 times for the B team, had expired, a personal call from Carlo Ancelotti convinced the left-back to come to Goodison Park. Operating as an understudy to compatriot Lucas Digne in 2020/21, Nkounkou made half a dozen first team appearances.
