Dynamo Kyiv defender Vitaliy Mykolenko is set to earn a ‘dizzying sum’ should he complete a move to Everton as expected next month.
That’s according to Sport Unian, who cover claims from Telegram channel Dynamo Kyiv Inside regarding the wages the youngster is set to receive at Goodison Park.
Mykolenko is reportedly on the verge of completing a move to Everton, who have moved to sign the Ukrainian full-back as a replacement for Lucas Digne.
The Frenchman has had something of a falling out with manager Rafa Benitez behind the scenes, which has seemingly led to an inevitable departure in the January transfer window.
Clubs such as Inter Milan, Juventus, Napoli and now Chelsea, who need a replacement for Ben Chilwell, have all been linked with a move and all indications so far are that Digne will be leaving Everton at some point.
Mykolenko is his likely replacement, and while the deal is yet to be confirmed, the latest from Ukraine is that the player is waiting for the deal to be finalised at the beginning of January.
Should he make the move, it seems he’s set for a huge pay rise as a result, with Dynamo Kyiv Inside reporting that he will earn ‘seven times’ what he currently does.
According to their information, Mykolenko will sign a five-year deal at Goodison Park worth €3m a year, or £58,000 a week, which will make him the 13-14th highest-paid player at Everton.
More importantly, the figure is half of what Digne currently earns on Merseyside, which is surely important given the Financial Fair Play restrictions that are currently hamstringing the Toffees.
For Mykolenko, though, it’s a significant increase of the $50,000 a month he currently earns in Kyiv. In fact, it’s 6.7 times more than his current pay packet.
Kyiv inside also report that it’s a figure he can improve on as well, with his contract including a clause that states his earnings can ‘increase significantly’ should he consolidate himself as Everton’s first-choice left-back in the coming years.
That would suggest he’s not been offered that status as yet, and perhaps Benitez is either planning another signing or wants Mykolenko to battle it out with Niels Nkounkou.
Now, normally we’d avoid this story given the source, but Dynamo Kyiv Inside were the first to report Mykolenko to Everton in the first place, and that has proven to be true, so we’ll take them on their word on this occasion.
If it does prove to be true, it at least offers another clear reason why Everton are so keen to get rid of Digne and replace him with a youngster from Ukraine.
