One of the biggest questions following the success Niels Nkounkou has had since leaving Everton on loan in January to Saint-Etienne was whether the Ligue 2 side would buy him.
There was an option to buy inserted in the deal, with it believed to be around €2m, and following his six goals and eight assists in 19 appearances, it seemed likely the French club would make the move.
Well, as expected, Saint-Etienne have announced on Thursday that they have triggered the option to buy in the deal, making Nkounkou’s move from Everton permanent.
That means the player who arrived when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge will no longer return to Goodison Park, and is tied to his new club until 2026.
Now, whether he ends up staying there until then remains to be seen, as there have been many rumours claiming the Ligue 2 side could immediately sell him on for a profit, with Marseille recently said to have come asking for information.
Either way, it’s now out of Everton’s hands, who will receive their bank transfer fairly soon.
