Sometimes as a footballer all you need is a bit of a reset and for Everton’s Niels Nkounkou, that appears to be happening at Saint Etienne.
He joined the French side on loan in the January transfer window after a move to Cardiff was cut short and, after a rocky start, has been impressing in the last few weeks.
We’ve already covered reports on how he’s been earning rave reviews and Peuple Vert continue that today.
They explain that Nkounkou has built on ‘a very positive start’ to life at the club, where he wants to ‘redeem himself’ and is already putting in the ‘ingredients’ to do just that.
Playing in a new wing back/left midfielder role he ‘seems to have found his place’ in the Saint Etienne team.
It’s been a turnaround from his time at Everton, where he was never able to show his talent in a more competitive team and squad.
It was that which led to the move to France, which is ‘supposed to revive him’ and that appears to be happening.
Indeed, no player in the current squad has the ‘same profile’, further helping him to stand out and impress, particularly offensively, where he has three assists and one goal in six games in Ligue 2.
Saint Etienne are very impressed and if he continues this ‘momentum of very good performances’ then there’s a belief the defender will have to choose what to do next.
That will be a question of whether he would prefer to try again at Everton, or continue as a regular at Saint Etienne where is? At the moment there is no ‘tangible answers’ but the fact is he is a ‘central element’ of the French team shouldn’t be underestimated.
They would seemingly be more than happy to keep him too, as he is young and that fits their ‘restructuring project’ around young players.
He’s a name to keep an eye on, then, with a decision certainly set to be made by Nkounkou and Everton. The positive news for now, though, is that he is bouncing back in his homeland and earning himself plaudits.
