Everton’s Niels Nkounkou has been out on loan since 2021. Last summer, the Toffees let him join Cardiff City on a season-long loan deal.
The Toffees cut short his temporary stay at Welsh club in the winter market and allowed him to seal a loan move to Saint-Étienne the same window. Last month, the 22-year-old admitted he requested to leave Cardiff for the Ligue 2 side.
On Wednesday, Score.fr reported Saint-Étienne have agreed to include a purchase option as part of the deal with Everton. His decision to join them in January seems to be paying off, if a report from Foot-Sur7 is to be believed.
Operating as a left wing-back and a left-back, the Frenchman has scored two goals and registered six assists from 11 matches in all competitions for Saint-Étienne.
The Everton owned player’s displays for the second division French club has seen him being targeted by ‘elite’ clubs, although the report doesn’t mention the teams that are looking at Nkounkou.
If Saint-Étienne make Nkounkou’s deal permanent, they could stand a chance to make a profit from his sale in the summer.
If not, Everton would have to make a decision on the defender’s future, knowing there’s interest in him out there.