Back in the January transfer window, Everton loaned Niels Nkounkou to French side Saint-Étienne.
The player had spent the first part of the season on loan at Cardiff City, where he’d been a regular starter, and then moved to his home country.
It turns out that Nkounkou is doing quite well at Saint-Étienne. As outlet Peuple Vert today brings some quotes from his interview with ASSE TV, they call him a ‘real phenomenon’ since his arrival at the club.
The defender was even asked about staying at the French side for longer, as the Ligue 2 side have the option to buy him from Everton this summer. And he actually seems to be on board with that operation.
“I’d like to set myself up in a project, to no longer find myself in uncertainty every summer, without knowing where I’m going to do the season. I’d like to find stability somewhere. In recent years, I’ve moved a lot, I’ve scattered a bit, and now I want to settle down. Changing clubs necessarily plays on your head.
“When you know that at the end of the season, you will surely no longer be there, that you will return to a club where you do not know if you will be able to stay even if you fight, it makes you think. It’s not always easy to live with, whether for me or for my loved ones, who follow me every time.”
According to recent reports from France, Saint-Étienne are indeed interested in buying Knounkou from Everton, as they just need to trigger a €2m purchase option for that.
The defender was signed by Everton in a €270k move from Olympique Marseille in 2020. He only made seven appearances for the Toffees’ first team, and it’s no surprise to see him willing to make a permanent move now.
