January can’t have been a fun month for Everton’s David Henen.
The 20-year-old forward, who is yet to make a first team-appearance for the Toffees, set himself up rather nicely for a transfer away from Goodison Park in the months preceding the transfer window, but, in the end, nothing came of it.
Henen admitted to the Belgian media he had rejected a five-year contract offer from the Premier League, something he had previously denied, amid reports sending him to France, with Toulouse and Nice allegedly interested in his services.
However, as January appeared and transfers started happening, it seemed Marseille would be the young Belgian’s next destination, with RMC in France reporting he was in talks with the Ligue 1 side about a potential transfer.
It all looked so promising, but soon after, a report from Mercato 365 emerged stating Lille, recently taken over by Gerard Lopez, were very close to getting a deal done, with the Marseille link now completely forgotten.
Despite all of this speculation surrounding Henen’s future, a move away from Everton never materialised, with Lazio’s Ricardo Kishna seemingly preferred by Lille in the end, and Marseille deciding to throw €30m+ at West Ham for Dimitri Payet instead.
So, what next for David Henen?
Well, with his contract at Goodison Park running until 2018, the summer seems like the ideal time for him to leave, if that remains his wish.
France, with many clubs there clearly interested by what he has to offer, remains his most likely destination.
Considering Nice were reportedly interested at one stage, failing to get anything done with Manchester United regarding Memphis Depay, that option remains a possibility.
Then again, if Lucien Favre’s side end up finishing in a Champions League spot (which looks very likely as things stand), they could well end up aiming higher than the 20-year-old Everton reserve player.
Spending six months at Fleetwood town last season, another loan to an English club could also be a possibility, but considering his contractual situation with Everton, a renewal would be needed at some stage to stop him from leaving on a free in 2018.
Bought for £240k, releasing him wouldn’t exactly a big loss for the Toffees, but with some potential clearly on display, selling for a profit in the summer sounds like a far likelier outcome.
